November 15, 2022 – The Pawsey Supercomputing Research Center has welcomed the announcement that it will receive over $22.4 million in funding from the Government of Western Australia over five years, to support WA’s positioning as an international leader high performance computing (HPC).
The announcement came hours after Setonix, Pawsey’s new supercomputer was recognized as one of the world’s greenest supercomputers, having ranked in the Top 5 of the globally recognized Green500 list.
Setonix was also named the most powerful public research supercomputer in the Southern Hemisphere, ranking 15th in the Global Top 500 list.
The funding, announced today by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Science, the Honorable Roger Cook, will enable Pawsey to continue its work enabling science and accelerating discovery through the provision of supercomputing services, big data solutions and advanced data storage.
It will also allow WA government agencies access to Pawsey’s leading research supercomputing facilities, including its new Setonix supercomputer, now rated the fastest supercomputer in the southern hemisphere.
Pawsey Executive Director Mark Stickells said the funding commitment confirmed Pawsey’s importance in WA’s digital infrastructure landscape and would support the provision of HPC expertise to a wide range of agencies, organizations, researchers and communities.
“The WA government’s support continues the state’s strategic investment in technologies and expertise critical to addressing complex challenges such as climate change, food security and energy transition,” he said.
“As more and more industries and sectors are digitally transformed, it is in the interests of the state and the country to maintain and grow our HPC infrastructure, capabilities, and talent.”
Pawsey is an unincorporated joint venture of Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, and the four public universities in Western Australia. It supports over 40 Australian organizations and 1,600 researchers in carrying out high-impact research, in areas such as radio astronomy, energy and resources, engineering, bioinformatics and health sciences.
Recent projects delivered by Pawsey include the development of real-time predictive models that improve the care of TBI patients, the installation of the world’s first room-temperature quantum accelerator, and the mapping of Mars to identify the source of meteorites.
The Center is also advancing our understanding of the Universe by processing data collected by state-of-the-art radio telescopes in WA which are the precursors to international SKA projects.
Pawsey Chairman Tim Shanahan said the funding would help Western Australia attract and retain highly skilled HPC professionals, build research links internationally and support innovation in the economy of Western Australia.
“Australia benefits from national HPC leadership and capability in Western Australia, with a public asset that drives Australian innovation and technology, and is engaged on the global stage with partnerships in our region and beyond. beyond,” Shanahan said.
“The WA Government’s continued support, along with the Australian Government’s investment in our significant technology update, ensures that Australia remains at the frontier of science, technology and digital innovation.”
The funding is expected to expand outreach and education programs for underrepresented schools and communities, supporting the development of digital literacy and data skills needed for future jobs.
It will also allow for greater engagement with industry, including small and medium enterprises.
With the installation of Setonix, 30 times more powerful and ten times more energy efficient than previous Pawsey supercomputers, the center will have additional supercomputing capacity that can be used for a wider range of research opportunities.
“WA has always been known as innovative and resourceful with its advantages in geology and geography,” Mr. Stickells said.
“This commitment helps support the future of WA innovation by leveraging Pawsey’s digital assets, HPC expertise and new technologies to deliver social and economic benefits and create opportunities for the state.”
Minister Cook’s media statement is available here.
Source: Karina Nunez, Pawsey
