In the latest 𝙑𝙎𝘾 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝘽𝙡𝙤𝙜, Lander Willem from the Universiteit Antwerpen shares his vision as the new Chair of the VSC User Committee.
He reflects on the committee’s vital role as the bridge between researchers and VSC’s operational teams — fostering collaboration, improving services, and ensuring that HPC resources continue to empower innovation across Flanders and beyond.

My goal is to ensure that the voice of VSC users remains strong, visible, and unified.”

👉 Read the full article: https://www.vscentrum.be/post/from-users-for-users-strengthening-the-vsc-community-and-shaping-the-future-of-hpc 

VSC proudly presents the first VSC Connect Blog, sharing insights, stories and expert perspectives on HP, AI & innovation from the VSC Team. 
 

👉 Prof. Dr. Geert Jan Bex, Docent in Supercomputing & Data Sciences (UHasselt & KU Leuven), and Training & Awareness Manager at EuroCC Belgium kicked of the series. 

Prof. dr. Geert Jan Bex shares how international collaboration in EuroCC boosts training opportunities: 

“We can and do refer our local community to training sessions organized by other NCCs. Moreover, we collaborate with other NCCs when we identify gaps in the training offerings to develop new training resources. This is a significant help since developing training materials is very time-consuming. In the second phase of the EuroCC project, EuroCC2, the Centers of Excellence (CoEs) also participate actively, and we can also refer our users to their typically very specialized training, for example, the code optimization workshops organized by the POP CoE."

💡 Curious to learn more?

Read the full article here 👉 https://www.vscentrum.be/post/training

We’re excited to share that the second FFplus Open Call for Business Experiments is now open! This is a unique opportunity for SMEs and startups across Europe to explore the benefits of high-performance computing (HPC) — with funding of up to €200,000 per project available.

Who can apply?

• SMEs and startups from Europe or Horizon Europe-eligible countries with no prior experience using HPC.
• Consortia made up of an SME and up to 4 supporting partners, which can be all types of organisations that are eligible to participate within the Digital Europe framework programme.
• Proposals can request a maximum of €200,000 in total funding (shared across all partners).

Is your company active in generative A.I.?

• SMEs and startups active in the field of generative A.I. that need to scale up to large or extreme scale computing resources are invited to apply for an Innovation study.
• The call for Innovation Studies is expected to open soon! Register for updates via the link below.
• Details such as the deadline, funding, consortium might be different from the business experiments details listed here. 

Eligible costs?

• 100% funding of incurred eligible direct costs in personnel, equipment, travel and material necessary for the completion of the experiment; no indirect costs or overheads will be funded.
• For supporting consortium partners, only engineering activities are eligible for funding.
• HPC time should be acquired via EuroHPC JU access schemes.
• More information can be found in the call document.

Need more info?

• Please contact us through the dedicated contact form.
• All information can be found on the FFplus website.
• Follow the webinar by the FFplus organization:
  • 📅 23 June
  • 🔗 Webinar details and registration
• Previous FF success stories can be found here:
  • 🔗 LinkedIn
  • 🔗 YouTube
• All details, documentation, and application guidelines for the Open Call are available here.
• All submissions must be made by 17:00 Brussels local time, August 26th, 2025.

Apply for support of EuroCC Belgium, VSC and Cenaero for your application or any questions

HPC, a strategic development tool, is available to the Belgian industry! 
 

As part of the EuroCC project, Cenaero leads the Belgian Competence Center in HPC, High-Performance Data Analytics (HPDA), and Artificial Intelligence (AI), called EuroCC@Belgium.

Join us on Wednesday, 2 April, for an exclusive information session on how numerical simulation and HPC can accelerate innovation and competitiveness in industry. 

It's a unique opportunity to find out more and talk to our experts!

Morning programme

• 9.00 - 9.30 | Welcome of participants
• 9.30 - 9.40 | Welcome by Thomas & Piron, hosts of the event
• 9.40 - 10.00 | Dr Cecile Goffaux, Cenaero ➡ Digital technologies for smart buildings and cities
• 10.00 - 11.30 | Dr Benoît Dompierre, Cenaero ➡ Digital simulation & HPC: what benefits for industry?
  • Access to HPC infrastructures in Belgium: conditions, support, fields of application, training...
  • User testimonials: discover concrete cases adapted to your sector
• 11.30 - 12.30 | Q&A followed by a drink hosted by Thomas & Piron

Interested? Contact %20frederique [dota] jacobs [ati] cenaero [dota] be (frederique[dot]jacobs[at]cenaero[dot]be) to reserve your spot!

Join us to discover how HPC can drive your innovation and keep your business at the forefront of technology! 

Quantum is coming… bringing a range of new promises and perils. Join us for a webinar exploring the emerging threat quantum computing poses to encryption, and its potential impact on data security. This event, co-hosted by Beltug, EuroCC, Quantum Circle and the Flemish Supercomputer Centrum (VSC), will bring together experts and professionals to deliver insights on the path to safe communications and data in the quantum computing age.

In this webinar, we’ll introduce the new Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standards and the concept of cryptographic agility, providing strategies for organisations to adapt to evolving security challenges. We will also take a look at the strategies and priorities in adopting the new PQC for use in secure communications, as well as the role of the enterprise PKI in the PQC migration. 

Program 

• 12:00 Welcome and introduction to the joint initiative 
   
  • Carl Mensch,  HPC Business Developer, EuroCC, VSC and University of Antwerp
  • Levi Nietvelt, Policy Lead, Beltug
  • Jan Sonck, Quantum Ecosystem Manager, Quantum Circle  
     
• 12:10 
   
  1. The paths towards quantum-safe communication: Quantum Key Distribution and Post Quantum cryptography, Giacomo Carrara, Ecosystem Manager, UGent, BeQCI        
  2. Post-quantum cryptography: standardisation, Frederik Vercauteren, Professor at COSIC, KU Leuven
  3. Towards cryptographic agility in the public sector, Kristof Verslype, Cryptographer, Smals         
  4. PQC Adoption Strategies – a Look Into TLS and PKI, Bojan Spasic, Cyber Security Technology Partner Manager, Swift 
      
• 13:30 Discussion: Your questions and your ideas moderated by Joachim Vererfven, Solution Engineer, Proximus and Quantum Circle. 

Speakers 

Practical info 

Date: 13th of January 2025 
Time: 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM CET