Bristol one of four international partners creating a global cyberinfrastructure for scientific discovery

The $3 million grant will expand the NSF FABRIC , the US’s largest cyberinfrastructure testbed, to four preeminent scientific institutions in Asia and Europe including the University of Bristol, the University of Tokyo, University of Amsterdam and Geneva (CERN).

Bristol was chosen because of the Smart Internet Lab’s pioneering research into smart cities and the citizen-driven, digital innovation methodologies that are integral to the Bristol Digital Futures Institute (BDFI).

The expansion represents an ambitious effort to accelerate scientific discovery by creating the networks needed to move vast amounts of data across oceans and time zones seamlessly and securely. The new funding will establish programmable network nodes (containing hardware, storage, CPUs and GPUs measurement devices and software in a single, integrated rack) and will interconnect them using dedicated connectivity links across the globe.

This three year project, will enable domain scientists to perform global, large-scale, end-to-end expermimentation of new cyberinfrastructure workflow ideas on a platform with one of a kind capabilities.

The investment given to University of Bristol will specifically address sociotechnical research, enabling researchers to collaboratively explore emerging digital technologies for Smart Cities and Connected Communities; understanding how cities, communities and citizens will be able to consume advanced network Services and share innovation and knowledge on a global scale.

Prof Dimitra Simeonidou, Director, Smart Internet Lab and Co-Director Bristol Digital Futures Insistute, said: “We are delighted Bristol has been chosen as one of just four internationally leading scientific institutions to become part of the FAB global testbed infrastructure. Partnering with such preeminent global institutions as part of FAB will create opportunities for research collaboration and global experimentation at an unprecedented scale.

“This represents a significant opportunity not just for our researchers and students, but for the region, and reinforces Bristol’s position as a world-leading smart city. Here at the University of Bristol we will have access to a world-wide laboratory from which to address critical scientific and societal challenges through joint research.”