CSC-TIETEEN TIETOTEKNIIKAN KESKUS OY

Their core work

CSC is Finland's national center for scientific computing and data management, providing high-performance computing (HPC), cloud services, and data infrastructure to researchers across Europe. They operate supercomputers, manage research data platforms, and build the technical backbone that lets scientists store, share, and analyze large datasets — from genomics to climate modeling. In H2020, they served as a key technical partner implementing pan-European e-infrastructures like EOSC, EUDAT, and PRACE, translating policy visions for open science into working IT services. They also provide training and consultancy to help research communities adopt FAIR data practices and comply with GDPR requirements.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In 2014–2018, CSC focused on foundational research infrastructure work — providing transnational HPC access (PRACE), building shared data platforms (EUDAT2020, which they coordinated), and connecting environmental and life-science research infrastructures (ENVRI PLUS, CORBEL, ELIXIR). From 2019 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward EOSC implementation, FAIR data compliance, and health data federation, with strong emphasis on personalised medicine, genomics, and GDPR-compliant data sharing. The keyword shift from generic "training" and "research infrastructure" to specific terms like "EOSC", "FAIR", "personalised medicine", and "artificial intelligence" reflects a maturation from building basic e-infrastructure to operating sophisticated, policy-driven data services.

CSC is positioning itself as Finland's gateway to the European Open Science Cloud, with increasing specialization in sensitive health data management and AI-ready research infrastructure.

How they like to work

CSC almost exclusively operates as a participant (35 of 43 projects), providing technical infrastructure and services rather than leading scientific agendas — they coordinated only one project (EUDAT2020). They thrive in large consortia, with 926 unique partners across 50 countries, making them one of the most broadly connected e-infrastructure providers in Europe. This makes them an easy, low-risk partner to bring into any consortium that needs reliable computing, data management, or EOSC integration expertise.

With 926 unique consortium partners across 50 countries, CSC has one of the widest collaboration networks of any single organization in H2020 — a direct result of participating in flagship pan-European infrastructure projects like PRACE and EOSC. Their reach is truly pan-European with no strong geographic bias, though Nordic collaboration is naturally strong via projects like EOSC-Nordic.

What sets them apart

CSC is not a university lab or a commercial IT vendor — it is a national e-infrastructure provider owned by the Finnish state and universities, giving it long-term stability and neutrality that commercial partners cannot offer. Their involvement in nearly every major EOSC and PRACE initiative means they understand the full European data infrastructure landscape from the inside. For any consortium needing HPC resources, FAIR-compliant data management, or EOSC service integration, CSC brings both the technical capacity and the institutional credibility that reviewers trust.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EUDAT2020
  CSC's only coordinated project (EUR 2.3M) — led the development of pan-European research data services that became foundational to EOSC.
• PRACE-6IP
  Largest single grant (EUR 1.37M in this phase) across three consecutive PRACE phases, demonstrating sustained commitment to European supercomputing.
• CINECA
  Bridges CSC's infrastructure expertise into personalised medicine by federating national health cohorts across Europe, Canada, and Africa — their most globally ambitious health project.