IT

Zernikeborg has become the hub for IT infrastructure in the North of the Netherlands. Zernikeborg is where IT know-how and facilities are brought together: the university computer centre, the knowledge centre for Internet applications, the High Performance Computing Centre, the CAVE (a virtual location for visualisation applications) and the Groningen Internet Exchange. Many of Zernikeborg's facilities are available to the private sector. 

All these activities act as a magnet for new IT companies, which has the advantage that highly qualified people with technological know-how remain in the region. That is bringing Groningen steadily closer to its aim of becoming the knowledge hub of the Netherlands.

The region is located on a number of primary routes, including the Tyco Global Network, one of the world's most advanced broadband networks. Groningen Internet Exchange (GN-IX) is an important interconnection point in this network and is connected with the data centres of organisations including Tyco, Versatel, Atos Origin and Essent Kabelcom. The regional and local telecommunication networks also meet the highest standards. In the North of the Netherlands providers such as KPN, UPC, BT Ignite, Northern Light Rail, Essent Kabelcom and Telfort have at their disposal a broadband fibre optic backbone and extensive regional networks. The North of the Netherlands can also boast virtually complete coverage with ADSL and broadband Internet. 

Groningen is now officially home to Europe's fastest computer: Stella 

Europe's fastest computer was recently taken into use in Groningen. Its name is Stella, which stands for Supercomputer Technology for Linked Lofar Applications. Developed by IBM, the system forms the epicentre of the world's biggest sensor network (LOFAR), which is currently under development in the North of the Netherlands.

Officially put into operation in April 2005 in Groningen, Stella occupies sixth position in the world's TOP500 fastest computers.
The TOP 500 list was announced at the end of June 2005 at the International Supercomputing Conference (ISC2005) in Germany's Heidelberg. This is the first time for quite a while that Europe has appeared in the fastest computer list: there are three European organisations in the top 10: Lausanne, Barcelona and Groningen. Lausanne achieves 18.20 Tflop/sec, while Barcelona and Groningen have (almost) just as much number-crunching power at 27.91 and 27.45 Tflop/sec respectively). The Groningen supercomputer is housed at the RC, the university computer centre of the University of Groningen and is being used for the ASTRON-project LOFAR, the world's biggest radio telescope.

The computer processes all of the data produced by LOFAR. LOFAR is a kind of giant telescope that comprises a network of about 25,000 small antennas with a maximum length of two metres, which are being placed during the next few years in an area extending from Friesland, Groningen, the northwest of Germany, Overijssel to Gelderland. The municipality of Borger-Odoorn in Drenthe forms the centre of the network. All of the stations are linked to the supercomputer with fibre-optic connectors, so that the system forms a telescope with a diameter of 350 kilometres.

LOFAR receives signals from space which are processed by the supercomputer. Scientists hope that the system will take them 13 billion years back in time so that they can study the origin of the earliest stars and star systems that were created just after the big bang.

But with its huge capacity the supercomputer can also provide important information for geophysicists and agricultural experts. To give an example, the sensors of LOFAR can reduce the chance of crop diseases breaking out.

They system is capable of monitoring the weather and the humidity balance. The supercomputer then takes growth models as the basis for calculating the probability of a disease breaking out. That way, farmers can take this into account when deciding how much pesticide to use.

‘What makes this supercomputer unique is the completely different way it is used from other, comparable computers’’, explains J. Post of IBM. ,,Up until now computers performed specific calculations that worked towards certain final results. This computer identifies what is happening now, which makes it a realtime application.'

More info on:

Zernike Science Park: The park is a leading business site for companies operating in the high-tech, IT and biotechnology sectors. The park links people and knowledge to infrastructure and location facilities, making it the perfect location for co-location, ASP, ISP, leading IT and biomedical technology companies: www.zsp.nl

Groningen Internet Valley: broadband Internet offers unprecedented opportunities for a new generation of Internet services. Groningen Internet Valley gives innovative entrepreneurs the unique opportunity to place their ideas on the market quickly and professionally. GRIV has a highly advanced technical environment at its disposal: www.griv.nl

Knowledge centre for Internet application: ICT@NN offers ways of combining know-how, technology and entrepreneurship in new and improved products and services. ICT@NN provides this knowledge injection by making its technical facilities available to third-parties: www.ictnn.nl

LOFAR ( LOw Frequency ARray) is the world’s biggest radio telescope. LOFAR comprises some 25,000 small antennas. Those small antennas are divided over an area covering a diameter of 350 kilometres and are linked to a supercomputer via a sophisticated, fibre optic network: www.lofar.nl

The mission of ICT Platform Noord is to strengthen the IT sector in the North of the Netherlands: www.ictplatform.com

A single association bringing together all IT specialists in the North: www.ictn.nl

The Technologie Centrum Noord-Nederland (TCNN) was established to support businesses in the northern small- and medium-sized enterprises sector with all sorts of issues and problems in the areas of technology, business administration and economics: www.tcnn.nl

Groningen Internet Exchange: GN-IX is the centre for broadband Internet and Internet services in the North of the Netherlands: www.gn-ix.net

The Community Network is a new and open fibre optic network owned by the user organisation CNG. This is a unique form of ‘decompilation’, which provides both customers and providers on the market with benefits: www.communitynetwork.nl

Noo®dZakelijk is an informative, varied and creatively organised business-to-business programme for the business-oriented reader and sets out the developments and innovative strengths of business life in the North of the Netherlands.
The edition on IT is available on the website of the Northern Development Agency (NOM) www.nom.nl