The Council of Ministers approved a significant investment of 71 million euros in July to boost supercomputing capabilities and chip manufacturing and advanced technology in Spain. This measure, part of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan and the PERTE Chip, aims to strengthen key infrastructures for the country’s research and industry.
Investment in Supercomputing and Chip Manufacturing
Of the approved 71 million euros, over 63 million will be allocated to the Spanish Supercomputing Network. This network, which has 14 nodes distributed throughout Spain, provides supercomputing resources and services to both the scientific community and the innovative ecosystem of research and industry, at both the national and European levels.
On the other hand, 7.7 million euros will be assigned to the Micro and Nano Fabrication Clean Room Network (MICRONANOFABS), which has three nodes in the country. These facilities offer centralized access to advanced technologies in various fields for the scientific community and businesses.
Government Statements and Objectives
The Minister of Science, Innovation, and Universities, Diana Morant, highlighted the importance of this investment, which targets two significantly relevant Singular Scientific and Technical Infrastructures (ICTS). “These infrastructures not only guarantee our strategic autonomy but also our technological leadership. Furthermore, they serve the entire society, including public and private research, our industry, and our SMEs,” Morant stated during her visit to the Scientific Computing Center of the Autonomous University of Madrid (CCC-UAM), one of the beneficiary entities.
Morant also emphasized PERTE Chip as one of the government’s most critical transformation tools for Spain. “We aim to position Spain in such a strategic and crucial sector for the daily life of citizens,” she added.
Distribution of the Investment
The investment will be distributed as follows:
University of Valencia: 6.1 million euros to improve the infrastructure and equipment of the Nanophotonics Technology Center.
Polytechnic University of Madrid: Over 1.6 million euros to upgrade the Technology Center of the Institute of Optoelectronic Systems and Microtechnology.
University of Cantabria: 760,000 euros for the enhancement of computing facilities and data storage systems.
University of Malaga: Over one million euros to develop capabilities related to artificial intelligence.
University of Valencia: 1.2 million euros to enhance computing and data storage infrastructures.
Galician Supercomputing Technology Center Foundation: 47.4 million euros to improve computing facilities and developments in quantum technology.
Consortium of University Services of Catalonia: 4.4 million euros for computing and data storage infrastructures.
Castilla y León Supercomputing Center Foundation: Over 4.8 million euros to improve facilities and developments in quantum technology.
Extremadura Advanced Computing and Technology Foundation: 3.2 million euros to enhance data storage and associated infrastructures.
Autonomous University of Madrid: 499,750 euros for improvements in data storage and infrastructures.
Navarra Services and Technologies: 90,000 euros to improve data storage.
This initiative underscores the Spanish government’s commitment to advancing in strategic technologies development and consolidating the country as a leader in the field of supercomputing and chip manufacturing.