Perth Supercomputing Centre

Perth Supercomputing Centre
Name	Perth Supercomputing Centre
Established	1990s
Location	Perth, Western Australia
Type	Research infrastructure

Perth Supercomputing Centre is a high-performance computing facility located in Perth, Western Australia, providing computational infrastructure, data services, and research support to academic, government, and industry partners. The centre underpins large-scale computational science across disciplines by delivering supercomputing, data storage, and cloud services that enable projects in climate science, genomics, astronomy, and geoscience. It integrates regional strategic goals with national and international initiatives to support research-intensive institutions and collaborative networks.

Overview

The centre functions as a node in national and international cyberinfrastructure, connecting to entities such as National Computational Infrastructure, Interim Supercomputing Service, AARNet, Australian Research Council, and CSIRO. Its services include high-performance computing clusters, petascale storage arrays, and virtual research environments used by communities linked to University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Murdoch University, Edith Cowan University, and other Western Australian institutions. The centre contributes to projects involving PANGEA, Square Kilometre Array, Geoscience Australia, National Broadband Network, and partnerships with global facilities like European Grid Infrastructure, XSEDE, and PRACE. It supports domain specialists from Australian Centre for Field Robotics, Telethon Kids Institute, CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, WA Museum, and Australian Institute of Marine Science.

History and Development

Origins trace to regional computing needs in the 1990s when state and university stakeholders including University of Western Australia, Curtin University, and Murdoch University sought shared resources to support research in fields such as oceanography, mineral exploration, and astrophysics. Early development involved collaborations with national initiatives such as Australian Partnership for Advanced Computing and infrastructure programs linked to Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation funding streams. Expansion phases aligned with investments from state programs and federal research agencies including Australian Research Council grants and partnerships with agencies like Geoscience Australia and Bureau of Meteorology. Strategic upgrades were timed to support major projects such as Square Kilometre Array planning and to meet data demands from genomic initiatives like those at Telethon Kids Institute and Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research.

Facilities and Infrastructure

The centre houses HPC clusters, storage systems, and data management platforms integrated with high-bandwidth networks via AARNet and peering relationships with national nodes including National Computational Infrastructure and international backbones. Hardware generations have included processors and accelerators from vendors linked to procurement frameworks involving Intel Corporation, NVIDIA, Dell Technologies, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. The data centre employs cooling and power strategies informed by standards from Green Grid and compliance practices aligned with Australian data centre regulations overseen by state authorities. Onsite laboratories support instrument integration with facilities such as Pawsey Supercomputing Centre and field campaign coordination with Australian Antarctic Division and Bureau of Meteorology observational programs. The centre’s virtual platforms interface with repositories like Australian Research Data Commons and federated identity services such as Griffin Collaboration.

Research and Projects

Research enabled by the centre spans climate modelling with groups associated with CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, biodiversity informatics with projects at WA Herbarium, and genomics pipelines used by Telethon Kids Institute and Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research. Computational seismology and mineral resource simulation projects collaborate with Geoscience Australia and mining research centres tied to Curtin University and multinational firms. Astronomy support includes data processing for precursor arrays to the Square Kilometre Array and collaborations with observatories interacting with International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research and Australian Astronomical Observatory. Machine learning and artificial intelligence initiatives link to research groups at University of Western Australia and industry partners such as Woodside Energy and Rio Tinto. Environmental modelling and citizen science projects interface with WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and NGOs connected to conservation programs.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The centre maintains institutional partnerships with Western Australian universities including Curtin University, University of Western Australia, Edith Cowan University, and Murdoch University, and national collaborations with CSIRO, Australian National University, and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation divisions. International linkages include cooperative activity with Pawsey Supercomputing Centre, National Computational Infrastructure, European Grid Infrastructure, and consortia such as Square Kilometre Array Organization and Global Research Network. Industry collaborations involve energy and resources firms like BHP, Rio Tinto, and Woodside Energy, plus health partnerships with Telethon Kids Institute and pharmaceutical research entities. Funding and project consortia frequently intersect with agencies such as Australian Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council, and state development bodies.

Governance and Funding

Governance typically involves oversight by a board representing partner institutions such as Curtin University, University of Western Australia, and state agencies, with executive leadership coordinating with national bodies like Australian Research Council and National Computational Infrastructure. Funding models combine infrastructure investment from state and federal programs, competitive research grants from Australian Research Council and National Health and Medical Research Council, service contracts with industry partners such as BHP and Woodside Energy, and consortium contributions from university members. Strategic planning aligns with national strategies reflected by reports and initiatives from Australian Government science portfolios and regional development agencies.

Category:Research institutes in Western Australia