ASC - Austrian Scientific Computing

17.07.2025

EVITA kick-off

EVITA project launches in Barcelona to strengthen Europe’s HPC training landscape.

The  EuroHPC Virtual Training Academy (EVITA) project officially launched with a two-day kick-off meeting held on July 1–2, 2025, at the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC). The event marked the first in-person gathering of all consortium members and set the stage for collaborative efforts to develop a coordinated, high-quality training ecosystem in High-Performance Computing (HPC) across Europe.

Funded by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and led by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, EVITA is building a unified, high-quality training ecosystem for HPC across Europe. By developing a Competence and Qualification Framework (CQF), designing a comprehensive HPC Skills Tree, curating modular training content, and creating a centralised digital training platform, EVITA empowers students, researchers, and professionals to access harmonised and recognised HPC education. The project promotes collaboration among Europe’s leading academic and supercomputing centres and is firmly rooted in quality assurance, long-term sustainability, and alignment with national and European digital skills strategies.

The EVITA consortium brings together eight prominent institutions from across Europe with expertise in HPC training and education:

Participants at the EVITA kick-off meeting

•    Barcelona Supercomputing Center (Spain)
•    Politecnico di Milano (Italy)
•    TU Wien (Austria)
•    Linköping University (Sweden)
•    HLRS – High-Performance Computing Center Stuttgart (Germany)
•    GWDG (Germany)
•    University of Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
•    IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center (Czech Republic)

The kick-off meeting provided a platform for each partner to present the status of their respective work packages and discuss the roadmap for upcoming milestones. Topics included the design of the CQF, the structure of the skills tree, training content development, and platform architecture. These sessions sparked productive exchanges and helped align efforts across institutions. Breakout discussions in smaller groups enabled deeper exploration of shared challenges and fostered cross-package collaboration, reinforcing the consortium's commitment to excellence and innovation.

The consortium extended warm thanks to the Barcelona Supercomputing Center for hosting the event and facilitating a productive and inspiring environment. With the kick-off meeting concluded, the EVITA project moves forward with clear objectives and strong momentum. By pooling expertise and resources, the consortium aims to deliver a sustainable and scalable virtual training academy that supports Europe’s ambition to remain at the forefront of HPC innovation.