The future computing needs of the Australian science sector
A brief on the future computing needs of the Australian science sector, calling for for a national strategy backed by at least one exascale capability.
Australia has no national strategy to acquire and sustain state-of-the-art high-performance computing and data (HPCD), also known as supercomputers, for research – putting the country’s future prosperity and security at risk.
We currently have moderate HPCD capability in Australia, but these facilities require major upgrades every few years and have a limited overall lifecycle. Our existing supercomputers won’t last beyond the end of this decade – and we need to start planning for the next generation now.
A national strategy backed by at least one exascale capability is essential to secure Australia’s sovereign capability and enable science and research to meet national and regional priorities.
Key points
- Supercomputers are vital to the everyday life of Australians and the economy, impacting fields including healthcare, weather prediction, agriculture, and job creation through new technologies.
- There is no current national strategy for the next generation of research HPCD in Australia; such a strategy is necessary given the escalating needs for research and the need to keep pace with global advancements.
- Australia’s research HPCD serves researchers in a variety of organisations, including universities, medical research institutes and government science agencies, including CSIRO, the Bureau of Meteorology, and Geoscience Australia, informing government decision-making and planning.
- Australia’s research HPCD also bolsters our artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. Without computing power on our own shores, Australia’s AI capability relies on other nations.
- While holding potential, quantum computing and cloud computing cannot replace traditional HPCD functions for scientists in the near term and requires further development.
- Australia’s stability, connectivity, and renewable energy capacity position us as an ideal host for future regional HPCD, especially an Asia–Pacific Tier-0 exascale facility.
- Securing sovereign capability depends on both investment in infrastructure and investment in software readiness programs. Similarly, the role of training, education, data management and AI is crucial to support future growth.
