VSC Inaugurates sofia, the New Flemish Tier-1 Supercomputer
- Rafal Tekreeti
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
On 27 November 2025, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) officially inaugurated sofia, the new Flemish Tier-1 supercomputer, at the Nexus Datacenter in Zellik. For the first time, VUB will manage the Flemish Tier-1 system for a full six-year cycle. sofia will serve researchers at Flemish universities and universities of applied sciences, knowledge institutions, and companies, and is part of the Flemish Supercomputer Centre (VSC).With its sustainable design and high computing performance, sofia strengthens the research and innovation landscape in Flanders and marks an important milestone for AI and high-performance computing (HPC).
A New Generation of Supercomputing in Flanders
A supercomputer is a cluster of interconnected systems that together deliver extremely high computing performance. Because technology evolves quickly, new Tier-1 systems must be acquired regularly. Flanders assigns the management of its Tier-1 supercomputer to a Flemish university every six years. After previous cycles at Ghent University and KU Leuven, VUB now takes on this responsibility following a new allocation.
The Flemish government invested 8.6 million euros in sofia, reinforcing its commitment to strong and sustainable research infrastructure.
Sustainable Design and High Efficiency
The new system, developed by NEC, was selected for energy-efficient performance. sofia delivers high computing power with low energy consumption, meeting the needs of modern AI and simulation workloads.
Today’s supercomputers rely heavily on graphics processing units (GPUs), which are essential for tasks such as AI model training and complex simulations. These processors require significantly more cooling than traditional hardware. The Nexus Datacenter in Zellik was designed from the ground up for liquid cooling, enabling efficient and stable operation of the system.
With a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of approximately 1.2, Nexus is among the most energy-efficient data centers in Belgium. sofia also includes expansion capacity, ensuring that the system can scale with future research requirements.
An Engine for Science and Industry
sofia supports applications across a wide range of domains. These include AI model development, chemical and physical simulations, astrophysics, climate modelling, weather forecasting, and engineering simulations across aviation, maritime, and automotive technology.HPC resources enable researchers and companies to accelerate workflows significantly, with some simulation workloads completing up to ten times faster on a supercomputer.
Researchers and companies can submit projects through the Flemish allocation system. VUB aims for a utilization level of 80% to ensure efficient and impactful use of the investment.
sofia Specifications Infographic
The full technical specifications of sofia are now available as an infographic blow that provides a clear overview of the system’s architecture, compute nodes, GPU capabilities, memory configuration, storage layers, cooling technology, and energy-efficiency features.This visual summary offers an accessible way to understand the infrastructure behind the new Flemish Tier-1 supercomputer.
A Name Symbolising Wisdom and Clarity
The name sofia is inspired by the Greek sophia, meaning “wisdom”. The name reflects VUB’s focus on knowledge, enlightenment, and open science. It also aligns with the symbolism of the sun in the university’s identity, representing illumination, clarity, and discovery. sofia embodies these values through its role as a powerful enabler of scientific and technological progress.
Widespread Media Coverage
The inauguration of sofia received broad national and international media attention, with coverage from major news outlets and technology publications. This strong visibility underscores the importance of the new Tier-1 system for research, innovation, and AI development in Flanders .A complete overview of all articles and reports is available on the VSC in the Media page here.
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