A new national AI supercomputer is now available to researchers and students across Denmark via UCloud.

The system, which has been named Bitten, significantly expands access to computing power for artificial intelligence, data analysis and complex simulations across research areas.

Bitten is part of Denmark's national research infrastructure and will support everything from medical research and climate modelling to text analysis and data-driven social research. Via the browser-based platform UCloud, researchers and students can access advanced tools and computing power without extensive technical setup.

A significant boost to Danish AI capacity
UCloud has been used at Danish universities for several years, but the new supercomputer marks a significant expansion of the national capacity.

The platform has been developed through a collaboration between the University of Southern Denmark, Aarhus University and Aalborg University under the auspices of the Interactive HPC Consortium and in close collaboration with the Danish e-Infrastructure Cooperation (DeiC). The collaboration has both built up advanced computing power and developed a platform adapted to the needs of researchers across disciplines.

The ambition has been to make advanced calculations and data processing widely available. By combining high computing power with a user-friendly platform, UCloud makes it possible for far more researchers to use advanced digital methods.

The model, in which computing power, software and user needs are developed together, can also make Denmark an example of how national research infrastructure can be developed and scaled in Europe.

Aarhus University has the broadest user base
UCloud is currently used at all Danish universities, but the use varies. The University of Copenhagen is currently the largest user measured by computing power, while Aarhus University has the highest number of users on the platform.

This points to a broad use of digital methods at Aarhus University – from students learning data analysis to researchers working with AI models, large data sets and advanced calculations in the health sciences, social sciences and humanities, among others.

UCloud has supported more than 23,000 users and over 2,500 projects to date, and continues to gain around 1,000 new users per month. The platform is available directly in the browser, where users can select tools and applications in an environment similar to an app store.

The development has taken place through more than a decade of collaboration between universities and researchers from a wide range of disciplines. At Aarhus University, the Centre for Humanities Computing (CHC) plays a central role in the development and operation of the platform, with a focus on user-friendliness, communication and support.

"UCloud is not just about providing access to computing power – it's about creating an environment in which researchers can actually work," says Professor Kristoffer Nielbo and elaborates:

"Our focus is to develop tools and services that make it easier to run, scale and share analyses across disciplines. The new capacity with Bitten makes it possible to support even more demanding workloads."

It allows researchers to work with data-heavy analysis without necessarily having a background in computer science.

AI makes digital sovereignty more important
Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly important for research, innovation and competitiveness, while research is becoming more data-driven. This increases the need for both data and advanced computing power.

UCloud is built as part of Danish research infrastructure, where data, software and calculations remain under Danish governance and in accordance with European standards. It allows researchers to work with sensitive data and advanced methods in a secure and transparent framework.

Thus, access to advanced computing power also becomes a matter of digital independence and European control over critical technology.

Supercomputer will also recycle energy
The new supercomputer has been developed with a focus on energy efficiency. The plant in Sønderborg is integrated into the local energy infrastructure and uses advanced liquid cooling and heat recovery developed in collaboration between SDU, Danfoss and HPE.

The surplus heat from the system is reused in the district heating network, so the energy is used twice – first for calculations and then for heating homes and buildings.

The project points to a development where data centers will become an integrated part of the energy systems of the future. The combination of high-performance computing and heat recovery could be an important example for similar initiatives in Europe.

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Contact

Kristoffer L. Nielbo, Professor
Centre for Humanities Computing
School of Culture and Society
Aarhus University
Mail: kln@cas.au.dk
Mobile: + 45 2683 2608