EU researchers get boost as grid infrastructure project goes live

Scientists will get access to processing power equivalent to 200,000 desktops

EU grid computing project aims to help researchers model climate change

The European Commission (EC) has launched the European Grid Infrastructure (EGI) project, with the aim of giving EU researchers in more than 30 countries processing power equal to 200,000 desktop systems.

EC vice president for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes said: "European researchers' access to greater computing power will help them tackle major research challenges in areas such as climate change and healthcare.

"The European Grid Infrastructure will help strengthen Europe's hand in research and give our scientists the support they need, while saving energy and cutting costs," she added.

Grid computing combines processing power from many networked, geographically dispersed desktop systems, running different operating systems.

Otherwise idle desktop systems will have their spare processing power co-opted into the EGI.

The EC is contributing €25m over four years to the EGI-InSPIRE project, which will link the processing capacity of 200,000 desktop systems hosted by more 300 centres worldwide.

Other funding for the €73m project will be raised through National Grid Initiatives.

EGI will be co-ordinated by the Amsterdam-based organisation EGI.eu, established in February 2010 to manage and operate the pan-European grid infrastructure.

Together, EGI.eu and representatives from National Grid Initiatives will operate and further develop the EGI infrastructure to guarantee its long-term availability.