Containerization in HPC Environments
18/03/2025

    18/03/2025

    The EPICURE Training Program: Empowering HPC Users and Researchers

    By André Pereira (INESC TEC)

     

     

    EPICURE aims to enhance the capabilities and efficiency of HPC applications running on Europe’s most advanced supercomputers. A key component of this initiative is our structured, targeted training program designed to equip researchers, engineers, and HPC practitioners with the essential skills and expertise required to develop efficient and scalable code.

     

    Our training approach blends theoretical know-how and practical skill sets to suit diverse learning needs, targeting the knowledge gaps identified by users of EuroHPC’s supercomputing resources. Our training activities are delivered through two complementary venues: webinars and hackathons.

     

     

    Webinars: Theoretical learning, accessible everywhere

     

     

    EPICURE webinars offer a remote learning environment tailored to the overview of theoretical concepts coupled with practical examples. These sessions are designed for broad accessibility, allowing participants to engage from any location. In addition to real-time interaction with HPC experts, participants receive access to course materials, including presentations, code snippets, and exercises, maximising learning outcomes and facilitating the application of concepts to the trainees’ workflows. To enhance flexibility, all webinars are recorded, enabling on-demand access for those unable to attend live sessions.

     

     

    Hackathons: Collaborative, Hands-on Experience

     

     

    Our hackathons provide an immersive, practical training experience in a collaborative, team-based setting. Participants work closely together on-site, addressing real-world HPC challenges directly related to their research and application needs. This format, which combines theoretical and hands-on sessions throughout several days, promotes active learning, experimentation, and immediate application of newly acquired skills. Hackathons also encourage peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and networking, strengthening collaborative ties within Europe’s HPC community.

     

     

    Continuous Improvement of the Training Activities

     

     

    EPICURE’s training program is developed based on comprehensive needs assessments, involving active input from the EPICURE community, project leaders, and application support teams. Feedback from past training events and ongoing project experiences is systematically collected and analyzed to identify recurring challenges and emerging areas of interest. This process ensures continuous refinement and improvement of training content, aligning with European HPC users’ evolving needs and interests. Additionally, the program proactively addresses new trends and technologies, allowing users to remain at the forefront of HPC innovation.

     

     

    During EPICURE’s first year, two on-site hackathons at CINECA, and INESC TEC were delivered, focusing on efficient usage of GPU resources and parallel programming for ARM-based architectures. Five online webinars were presented by experts from European and American organisations, covering various topics such as scientific visualisation, heterogeneous computing, and other technology-specific subjects. These training activities directly reached 224 people during the last 12 months.

     

     

    EPICURE’s training materials presented in both webinars and hackathons are available here.

    Comments

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *