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One of the 100 most powerful supercomputers in the world has been working in Gdansk for several days. Its name is Kraken and belongs to the STOS Competence Centre of the Gdansk University of Technology. It was created thanks to PLN 90 million from European Funds.
The STOS (Smart and Transdisciplinary knOwledge Services) Competence Centre at 75 Traugutta Street is not only a place but above all people – academics and students – who can already benefit from the supercomputer’s capabilities.
STOS creates the conditions for research projects for the academic community in Pomerania. It will also support companies and the socio-economic environment of the university in the implementation of large business ventures. It will also be used for implementation research to commercialise science.
The Kraken supercomputer lies at the core of the STOS, boasting a remarkable computing power of 13.6 petaflops. The tasks that an average computer or laptop would require a thousand hours to perform, Kraken can accomplish in a mere second. The scientific applications of this supercomputer are limitless, with medical engineering, biomedical chemistry, and environmental technology among its many fields. The Kraken also holds the potential to enable the development of artificial intelligence and aid in modelling nuclear energy concerns.
As Marshal Mieczysław Struk recalled during the Kraken launch ceremony, the entire investment cost approximately PLN 156 million. Of this amount, PLN 90.1 million is subsidised by the European Union.
“This is a unique place, a place we can be proud of. Thanks to STOS, we are entering a new level of development, and Pomerania will become an important place on the digital map of Europe,”
stressed Struk.