Research shows Dutch science needs more computing power
With the rapid digitalisation of science, the upcoming replacement of national supercomputer Snellius, investments in European supercomputers and the stormy rise of AI, a logical moment has arisen to rethink the national strategy for digital infrastructure. It is therefore important to know the needs of Dutch scientists. NWO and SURF distributed a questionnaire in the summer of 2024, which was completed by 43 researchers from 21 organisations. In addition, principal investigators from research groups that make extensive use of current computing facilities were interviewed. Representation from all science domains was taken into account.
Concerns about capacity
Many researchers are concerned whether sufficient computing and data capacity will be available for their research in the future. This applies to all fields of science, the report shows. They foresee that this need will only grow in the future. Some researchers are concerned whether there is sufficient structural funding available for computing facilities. They also expressed a need for more support.
Those concerns are in line with the current situation, the report shows. The Netherlands lags behind in Europe in terms of available computing capacity for publicly funded scientific research. Several European countries are
investing in their digital infrastructure especially now, which risks widening the gap. The available capacity of Snellius is less than other supercomputers, but replacement is not on the agenda until 2027.
Need grows in all domains
Researchers say advanced computing and data facilities are essential for top research. The need is growing in all fields of science. Previously, it was mainly the beta disciplines that used supercomputers. Now, other domains are also increasingly using large-scale data storage or processing of complex data, e.g. for economic modelling or analysis of historical documents. The rapid growth of AI is an additional driver of the demand, which will increase the need for computing and data capacity even faster in the near future.
The greater dependence on computational and data capacity for research and the increasing demand mean that investments are needed to maintain the global top position of Dutch scientific research. Given the efforts made by other countries, strengthening the national digital infrastructure is necessary, the report concludes.