As well as a super-fast version of the Internet, Grid enables users to tap into raw computing power as easily as we now get electricity through a socket in the wall.
The Welsh e-Science Centre has been formed in the Department of Computer Science at Cardiff University to bring this huge technological advance to public and private sector organisations throughout Wales and South West England. It is one of eight such centres across the UK.
“Grid opens up enormous opportunities to support Wales in its goal of becoming a vibrant and dynamic knowledge-based economy,” said Cardiff University’s Vice-Chancellor Dr David Grant.
“New businesses will grow as a direct result, and existing companies will be able to expand and develop into new areas,” he added. “The possibilities for economic, social and environmental benefits are almost endless.”
The Centre is financed by the UK Research Councils’ National e-Science Initiative, Cardiff University and the Welsh Development Agency, and forms part of an £8 million Grid-related investment at the University.
Originally designed for advanced science and engineering purposes, Grid is now being developed to meet the needs of numerous other fields, including health, commerce, finance, entertainment, industrial design and government.
Grid allows the formation of “virtual organisations” – a collection of companies, institutions and individuals who want to share resources in a controlled, secure and flexible way, usually for a limited period of time.
These might, for example, include companies collaborating over the design of a product. Grid would allow them to share resources such as digital blueprints of the design, and specialist hardware and software to simulate its performance.
Alternatively, organisations not involved in collaborations could pay for the use of hardware for computation and storage, for third-party software or for access to data.
The Welsh eScience Centre will be officially launched at Cardiff University on April 15th by First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM.