University of Groningen receives substantial donation for fundamental research

The Ubbo Emmius Fund of the University of Groningen (UG) has recently received a substantial donation from an alumnus. The donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, has set up a specific fund. The precise size of the Fund is not yet known, because it is dependent on further developments. Both the UG and the Ubbo Emmius Fund are extremely grateful to the alumnus for this donation.

The aim of the Fund is to strongly promote the quality of fundamental research at the University of Groningen, including in the field of exascale technology and support for PhD research. With this financial support, UG, together with its partners IBM, UMCG and Astron can help shape and realize the ambitions of the European Research Center for Exascale Technology (ERCET).

Interdisciplinary collaboration in ERCET

The University will take part in ERCET through the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials (ZIAM, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences). ZIAM is an acknowledged top-level research institute, which combines fundamental and applied research on the synthesis, manufacture and characterization of new functional materials. In collaboration with UG researchers in IT, artificial intelligence and mathematics, ERCET seeks to make breakthroughs in the development of new materials for the computers of the future.

Exascale computer

ERCET searches for innovative answers to the questions facing big data. If organizations are able to analyse large quantities of data quickly and efficiently, they can then meet some of the most pressing social and commercial challenges. The processing power of computers is essential for this to happen. An exascale computer has as much computing power as several million of the fastest computers that currently exist. By working together and by utilizing each ot her’s research knowledge and strengths, the parties are seeking to work on solutions that will boost the economy of the Northern Netherlands, and the Netherlands as a whole.