15.02.2023

With BSC taking over the role of project coordinator for the third funding phase of ESiWACE from DKRZ, having the two project meetings back-to-back at the BSC premises was a natural choice. The back-to-back meeting format allowed the ESiWACE2 consortium members to reflect and report on progress and achievements made during the second project funding phase, to inform new ESiWACE3 partners accordingly, to work on open tasks and to prepare the transition to ESiWACE3 and beyond.

Third funding phase of ESiWACE

ESiWACE3 has been launched on January 1, 2023 by the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) within the scope of the Horizon Europe EU funding programme and is one out of 10 new Centres of Excellence in High Performance Computing.

ESiWACE2 Final General Assembly

In three lively plenary discussions, the consortium members took a peek into the crystal ball: Mario Acosta (BSC) and Peter Dueben (ECMWF) engaged the attendees in a discussion on “The next 5 years for the four WP1 production mode models”: IFS, EC-Earth, ICON, IPSL and NEMO. Widening the perspective, Peter Dueben and the attendees then discussed their vision of “What will we do different in weather and climate modeling in 2035?”. In a third plenary session Ben van Werkhoven (NLeSC) and Sophie Valcke (CERFACS) addressed the future of the ESiWACE services delivered within the second funding phase, plans for services in ESiWACE3, and gaps and alternative paths to sustain the service activities.

ESiWACE3 Kick-Off Meeting

On Wednesday, February 1 the ESiWACE3 Kick-Off Meeting was opened by Francisco Doblas-Reyes, head of the Department of Earth Sciences at BSC, and Mario Acosta, head of the High Performance Computing team at the Earth Science Department, both project co-coordinators, setting the stage and context. Their welcome and introduction was followed by invited presentations on the ENES-RI by Fanny Adloff (DKRZ), the thematically neighbouring CoE ChEESE (Centre of Excellence for Exascale in Solid Earth) by Josep de la Puente (BSC), the obligations of Horizon Europe-funded projects by Linda Gesenhues (EuroHPC JU), as well as introductory presentations on all seven ESiWACE3 work packages and an invited presentation on Destination Earth delivered remotely by Nils Wedi (ECMWF). The meeting was complemented by diverse breakout groups including debriefing and a dedicated session on management and coordination.

Photo impressions from the ESiWACE2 Final GA & ESiWACE3 Kick-Off Meeting 2023 at BSC in Barcelona

More information

For more information on the achievements of ESiWACE in its first two funding phases, please have a look at our public deliverables and milestones on Zenodo.