A new training initiative aims to strengthen high performance computing (HPC) skills across Europe and connect young professionals to the growing field of supercomputing.
As demand for advanced computing expertise continues to grow across science, industry and government, Europe has launched a new initiative to strengthen its high-performance computing talent pool.
The HPCTRAIN project, launched by the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaining (EuroHPC JU), provides training to early career professionals who want to develop practical HPC skills and gain experience with supercomputing technologies.
The program will begin in January 2026 and run for four years. Organizers of the initiative say it aims to address Europe’s lack of skilled professionals capable of working with high-performance computing systems that underpin fields from artificial intelligence to climate modeling to advanced manufacturing.
The initiative received EUR 5 million funding through the European Union’s Digital Europe Program under the call DIGITAL-EUROHPC-JU-2022-TRAINING-03.
Expanding Europe’s supercomputing ambitions
EuroHPC JU is a joint initiative involving the European Union and participating countries, established to coordinate investments in supercomputing infrastructure and research across the region.
In recent years, the organization has overseen the deployment of a powerful network of systems across Europe. The program has already helped procure 12 supercomputers hosted at research centers in multiple countries.
These include next-generation machines such as JUPITER and Alice Recoque supercomputers, which are Europe’s first systems capable of operating at exascale, meaning they can perform more than 1 quintillion calculations per second.
While infrastructure expansion has become a key focus, policymakers and industry bodies are increasingly warning that Europe also needs a larger talent pool to operate and develop applications for these systems.
Addressing the gap between academia and industry
The HPCTRAIN project focuses on strengthening Europe’s HPC skills ecosystem by offering structured apprenticeships that place participants within companies, research institutes, and technical organizations.
Unlike many existing academic training programs, this initiative focuses on experience in professional environments where supercomputing is used in real-world applications.
Participants develop broader professional competencies such as collaboration and project management while working on projects related to high-performance computing technology, operations, and software development.
The scheme aims to bridge the long-recognized gap between university training and industry demand for computing expertise.
Training programs available throughout Europe
Applications to HPCTRAIN are accepted throughout the year through the project website, with four submission deadlines per year.
Successful candidates will be matched with host organizations that provide training opportunities related to high-performance computing operations, technology, and applications.
The program will be guided by an Industry Advisory Board that includes representatives from organizations such as ETP4HPC, Big Data Value Association, QuIC, and the European Advanced Computing Partnership Industry Advisory Board and other industry stakeholders.
This group will help shape the training framework and ensure placements that reflect the evolving workforce needs of the supercomputing field.
A consortium of universities, research centers and companies
The HPCTRAIN project is coordinated by Forschungszentrum Jülich and includes a consortium of 12 organizations from across Europe.
Partners include research institutes and universities such as the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, the University of Stuttgart, the University of Luxembourg and the University of Galway, as well as supercomputing and technology organizations such as the IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center, LuxProvide, CSC, INESC TEC and the University of Ljubljana.
The consortium will oversee the design and implementation of training and evaluate how effectively training supports workforce development.
Monitoring and evaluation activities track the impact of the program, particularly its success in helping participants transition from education to careers related to high-performance computing.
Strengthening the European digital technology supply chain
The initiative aims to improve European capabilities in areas such as HPC systems operations, application development and advanced software engineering by expanding access to practical training.
Project organizers say building a larger pool of experts will be essential as supercomputing becomes increasingly important for artificial intelligence, scientific research and industrial innovation.
As Europe continues to invest heavily in supercomputing infrastructure, initiatives like HPCTRAIN reflect a growing recognition that building world-class technology systems and developing the talent needed to run them must occur in parallel.
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