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With Olivia's 250-CPU nodes, computations run up to five times faster, accelerating the search for next-generation energy materials. From battery research to rare-earth-free magnets, alloy design, and catalysts, Olivia is transforming VASP-based projects across multiple fields

The global situation has underscored how vital it is to safeguard critical research data. To strengthen resilience, we has accelerated the expansion of NIRD to ensure that Norway’s most important scientific data remains secure, reliable, and accessible for researchers across disciplines.

Norwegian researchers are reporting significant performance gains and a smooth user experience during the pilot phase of Olivia, Sigma2's newest supercomputer. Several Norwegian research teams have had the opportunity to test the new machine, and the results are already highlighting the system's potential.

The pilot projects, which include initiatives from SINTEF Energy, agritech company DigiFarm, and the University of Bergen, have been selected based on specific GPU tasks to be tested. Among other areas, these projects include climate modelling, language models, genome research, and chemical simulations, where machine learning plays a key role in analysing and interpreting large datasets.

The call for national e-infrastructure resources for the next allocation period is open. This call applies to the allocation period starting on 1 October 2025. We offer HPC, data storage and AI resources for research and education. The application deadline is Monday, 25 August 2025, so don’t miss the opportunity to secure resources for your projects.

A new generation of the NIRD Research Data Archive, Norway’s national archive for storing research data, has been launched. The new archive will be Norway’s largest and most comprehensive repository for scientific data, helping position Norway as a leader in open research and data sharing

This funding aims to expand Norway's NRIS and eX3 supercomputing systems to support quantum research. The project will provide access to LUMI-Q, Europe’s quantum infrastructure, and enable the development of hybrid quantum-classical computing environments.

Sigrun Aasland, Minister of Research and Higher Education (Lab.), has officially inaugurated Oivia, Norway's most powerful supercomputer ever. –Now, Norway’s research community will have access to the tools they need to keep up with a rapidly advancing field, says the Minister.

The brand-new supercomputer Olivia debuts on two prestigious international rankings: Green500, which measures energy efficiency, and TOP500, which ranks the world's fastest supercomputers. The rankings were announced during ISC25 in Hamburg.

The government plans to increase funding to Sigma2 by NOK 20.2 million to ensure research data is stored nationally. This initiative strengthens NIRD, Norway's largest storage system, addressing concerns about data security abroad.

We are proud to be one of the partners in the new LUMI AI Factory consortium. Through Sigma2, Norway will invest 215 million NOK in the LUMI-AI system to ensure Norwegian researchers have sufficient resources to build upon their success with the current LUMI supercomputer and support the Norwegian government's digitalisation strategy.

The installation phase begins immediately, followed by a testing phase before Norwegian researchers gain access to the technological giant. With 304 of the most advanced GPUs on the market, Olivia will significantly boost national research and innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

Preparations are underway at IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Components of the cutting-edge system, developed within the LUMI-Q consortium, have arrived, including the cryostat.

Our freshly published report highlights key developments in Norway’s national e-infrastructure, showing how supercomputing and big data services have supported groundbreaking research and innovation.

We have now completed the conversion process for the backup solution for all NIRD Data Peak projects with enabled backups. This streamlines the backup process by enabling swift incremental backups and implementing selective exclusion rules per project.

Extended User Support provides users with expert assistance on their projects. This support is designed to address complex challenges requiring more in-depth attention than standard support can offer. A new NRIS Team, the High-Level Support Team (HLST), will actively pursue projects that will benefit greatly from EUS.

The pilot project selection for Norway's new supercomputer, Olivia, has begun. These projects will test the system's limits and ensure optimal performance before full production starts this autumn. While many projects will be directly invited, you can still express your interest in participating in Olivia's pilot phase.

The Norwegian Research Council recommends that Sigma2 should be the sole provider of supercomputing (HPC) infrastructure for research and public sectors in Norway. This recommendation is part of a report requested by the government to assess future computational needs.

Now you can apply for resources on the national e-infrastructure services for our next allocation period. The deadline for applying is Monday 24 February. Applications are evaluated by our Resource Allocation Committee, according to the Guidelines for Resource Allocation on the national e-infrastructure.

We are entering into an exciting partnership with LUMI-AI, the successor of LUMI and the new pan-European supercomputer and AI Factory. Through Sigma2, Norway will invest 215 million NOK in the LUMI-AI hardware. An additional 30 million NOK will be funded by the Norwegian Research Council to establish the Norwegian national part of the AI Factory.