Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center (PSNC) affiliated with the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences is an internationally recognized node of the European Research Area in the area of IT infrastructure of science and an important research and development ICT center. As an of e-Infrastructure development center, PSNC designed and built POZMAN Metropolitan Area Network High Performance Computing Center and PIONIER National Broadband Network, maintained and further developed by PSNC. Projects developed at PSNC include cooperation with almost a thousand entities from over 60 countries in the world, on 6 continents. All projects are focused on IT technologies and concern new generation networks, grids, portals, digital libraries, IT energy efficiency, climate, weather, air quality, new energy sources, digital humanities, personalized medicine, intelligent agriculture, industry 4.0, astronomy, bioinformatics, Big Data analysis, artificial intelligence, New Media, education, Smart City, cyber security and more. The list of areas of activity in which PSNC undertakes work is constantly expanding, being an important example of taking up new technological challenges.
The cooperation agreement was signed in the presence of local authorities: Prof. Bogdan Wankiewicz – Governor of Wałcz- Mr. Maciej Żebrowski- Mayor of Wałcz and Mr. Grzegorz Kuberka – representative of Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center and Mr. Radosław Chinalski, Security Awareness Expert ChangePro (LLC).
The main objective of the signed Agreement is to include the State Vocational College in Walcz to the PIONIER nationwide broadband optical network and provide PWSZ in Walcz with PIONIER-LAB platform (National Platform for Integration of Research Infrastructures with Innovation Ecosystems), as well as preparation of digital transformation service offers for the local industry, including the METALIKA Metal Cluster. The agreement also envisages the launch of social innovation laboratories in synergy with the Local Science Centre “Metal Inspirations”, the transfer of skills and knowledge in Artificial Intelligence using PIONIER Research & Classroom services for secondary or vocational school students, as well as the use of PWSZ and PSNC resources to design joint scientific and research works. Mutual implementation of projects, using the potential and resources of both Parties, is also intended to promote science and education.
Cooperation with PSNC will bring benefits to both parties in the design and development of joint scientific-research works using the potential of the emerging National Platform for Integration of Research Infrastructures with Innovation Ecosystems PIONIER-LAB embedded in the infrastructure of the PIONIER network. The synergy of joint activities will also allow cooperation between the scientific community and local businesses by providing access to modern laboratories and services that support digital transformation of industry. – summarized Robert Pękal from PSNC.
