Project Goal
The EU-funded SPECTRUM project unites top European science organizations and e-Infrastructure providers to develop a Strategic Research, Innovation, and Deployment Agenda (SRIDA) and a Technical Blueprint for a European compute and data continuum. This initiative aims to establish an Exabyte-scale research data federation and compute continuum, enhancing data-intensive scientific collaborations across Europe.
Background
Frontier research in High Energy Physics and Radio Astronomy is entering the Exascale era, with new instruments requiring unprecedented data processing capabilities. To meet these demands, pan-European data and compute infrastructures must be developed, incorporating novel architectures, federation models, and IT frameworks. The integration of Exascale HPC and Quantum computing systems offers new opportunities to accelerate discoveries and complement existing research facilities. Key challenges include scalability, performance, energy efficiency, portability, interoperability, and cybersecurity, which must be addressed to ensure successful integration of these heterogeneous systems.
Progress in 2024
In 2024, the SPECTRUM project made significant progress in establishing its organizational structure and initiating key activities. Following a strategic kick-off meeting, the project launched the SPECTRUM Community of Practice (SPECTRUMCoP), complete with a published charter and active Working Groups. Work Packages 3 and 5 led efforts in developing use-case analysis frameworks and conducting a comprehensive survey on current and future needs. The project demonstrated strong inter-WP collaboration, particularly in structuring the SPECTRUMCoP and refining use-case analyses. With the Activity Management Board overseeing operations and CERN contributing to multiple Work Packages, SPECTRUM has laid a solid foundation for its ambitious goal of creating an Exabyte-scale research data federation and compute continuum across Europe.
Next Steps
The SPECTRUM will move forward with several key activities:
Analysis of survey results: The project team will analyze the responses from the survey to provide valuable insights to guide future project directions.
Refinement of use-case analyses: The project will focus on developing and refining more representative use-cases. This will help in understanding the specific requirements and challenges across different research domains.
Continuation of Working Group activities: The established Working Groups (WGs) within the SPECTRUM Community of Practice (SPECTRUMCoP) will continue their bi-monthly meetings.
Preparation for upcoming Work Packages: Work Packages 4, 6, and 7 are scheduled to start in later months of the project. The team will begin preparations for these upcoming activities.
Development of the Strategic Research, Innovation, and Deployment Agenda (SRIDA): Based on the insights gathered from surveys, use-cases, and Working Group discussions, the project will work towards formulating the SRIDA.
Progress on the Technical Blueprint: Alongside the SRIDA, the project will continue developing the Technical Blueprint for the European computer and data continuum.
These next steps will contribute to SPECTRUM’s overarching goal of creating an Exabyte-scale research data federation and compute continuum to enhance data-intensive scientific collaborations across Europe.
Project Coordinator: EGI Foundation
Technical Team: Maria Girone, Eric Wulff, David Southwick
Collaboration Liaisons: Sergio Andreozzi, Xavier Salazar, Chiara Ferrari, Tommaso Boccali, Hans-Christian Hoppe, Corentin Lefevre , Raymond Oonk, Fabio Affinito, John Swinbank
In partnership with: EGI Foundation, OCA, CNRS, INFN, FZJ, NEOVIA, SURF BV, CINECA, ASTRON