In today’s data-intensive world, researchers and businesses are becoming more and more dependent on tools that allow them to combine and process vast amounts of data from different sources at accelerated speed. Data transforms business models, creates new knowledge, and enables disruptive scientific breakthroughs and industrial innovations, that improve people’s lives, make businesses more competitive and help solve grand challenges from climate change to public health crises.

Europe’s future depends on its ability to develop its own technological competences and understanding of their impact. This is impossible without supercomputers and High-Performance Computing (HPC). HPC is also the key platform for development and uptake of new technologies, such as quantum computing and AI. But in addition to powerful technologies, we need people with skills and competences for value creation. Therefore, Europe must aim to create convergent, interoperable ecosystems of data, HPC, quantum and AI infrastructures, with systematic parallel development of skills and competences.

LUMI consortium, the host of the first pre-exascale supercomputer acquired by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, is organising an event to discuss the societal impact and next steps of European HPC and AI ecosystems. Using the LUMI ecosystem as an example, we will highlight some of its most impactful achievements to date as well as discuss the advantages of building the supercomputing and AI ecosystems as holistic and collaborative efforts.