KU Leuven/UHasselt HPC User Day 2026 Marks Successful Launch of New Tier-2 Supercomputer

On March 26, 2026, KU Leuven and UHasselt hosted the annual HPC User Day, combined with the official inauguration of the new Tier-2 supercomputer.

The event brought together researchers, HPC users, and support staff for a full day dedicated to exploring the capabilities of the new system, sharing research experiences, and strengthening the HPC community. The morning sessions took place at ICTS KU Leuven, while the afternoon program was held at the Thermotechnisch Instituut.

A Day Focused on Practice and Performance

The morning sessions at ICTS provided hands-on training focused on practical use of the Tier-2 infrastructure. Participants gained insights into making efficient use of (Blackwell) GPUs and applying best practices for data management, data outflow, and GPFS.

Datacenter visits offered a direct look at the infrastructure powering advanced research, connecting users with the physical environment behind the system.

Introducing the New Tier-2 System

In the afternoon, the program continued at the Thermotechnisch Instituut with the formal introduction of the new Tier-2 cluster.

The session marked an important milestone for HPC in Flanders, presenting a system designed to support increasingly complex and data-intensive research across disciplines.

Research in Action

A series of user testimonials demonstrated how HPC is applied in real research contexts:

(Click on a presentation title to view.)

• Bram Van Den Bosch — Physics-based simulations of locomotion: our transition to HPC

• Gabrielle De Lannoy — Our Earth’s Land Surface Monitored by Satellites and Models on the VSC HPC

• Noah Gaens — Ancient DNA unveils a thousand years of history

• George Miloshevich — ML in traditional HPC simulations

These presentations illustrated the broad impact of HPC across scientific domains.

HPC & Education

The panel discussion on HPC & Education addressed the growing importance of computational skills in both research and teaching. The discussion emphasized the role of HPC in preparing students and researchers for data-intensive environments.

Community and Exchange

The poster session and networking reception created valuable space for interaction between researchers and HPC staff, encouraging collaboration and knowledge exchange within the KU Leuven and UHasselt community.

Participants had the opportunity to present their work, exchange ideas across disciplines, and discuss practical challenges and solutions related to high-performance computing. These interactions reinforced the importance of a strong and connected HPC ecosystem, where users and support teams can learn from each other and build future collaborations.

Event Gallery

Key moments from the day, including training sessions, datacenter visits, presentations, and networking.

Looking Ahead

The new Tier-2 supercomputer represents a significant advancement for research infrastructure in Flanders. The HPC User Day 2026 highlighted how this system supports scientific progress through accessible, high-performance computing and strong collaboration between institutions.

Discover More

Discover the highlights and recorded presentations from the VSC User Day 2025 here.

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