University of York Chooses Alces Flight to Boost Sustainable Research

The University of York has selected Alces Flight to improve the operation of its High-Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure and reduce its carbon footprint. This collaboration aims to upgrade the Viking 2 cluster, which supports research in fields like Crystal Structure Prediction and Person-specific Automatic Speaker Recognition.

Viking 2, the University's HPC cluster, supports over 3,500 applications and 880 users, achieving 75% utilisation. This infrastructure advances research, notably in structural biology through cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), enabling molecular discoveries.

Dr. Emma Barnes, Head of Research and Faculty IT, highlighted the collaboration’s role in enhancing research capabilities and ensuring sustainability and accessibility of the infrastructure. Projects such as cryo-EM have already benefited from Viking 2's advanced capabilities.

The Viking 2 cluster, located in Sweden and hosted by EcoDataCenter, aligns with the University’s sustainability goals. EcoDataCenter’s facilities emphasize renewable energy, aiding the University’s objective to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Michael Rudgyard, CEO of Alces Flight, and Cristin Merrit, CMO of Alces Flight, stressed the importance of sustainability in HPC and their excitement about supporting the University’s pioneering projects.