DATADIRECT NETWORKS FRANCE

Their core work

DataDirect Networks (DDN) France is the European arm of DDN, a major provider of high-performance storage and data management solutions for HPC and exascale computing environments. In H2020 projects, they contribute fast storage architectures, intelligent I/O scheduling, and data middleware that allow supercomputers and cloud platforms to handle massive datasets efficiently. Their work spans enabling weather/climate simulations, energy modeling, and big data workflows across transport, maritime, and automotive domains.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

DDN France entered H2020 in 2018 with EVOLVE, a project they coordinated, focused on cloud-enhanced testbeds and big data workflows for sectors like transport, maritime, and automotive. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward exascale computing — all three later projects (EoCoE-II, ESiWACE2, ADMIRE) deal with exascale-grade storage and I/O, with increasing emphasis on intelligent, adaptive data management rather than general-purpose cloud infrastructure.

DDN France is moving deeper into intelligent, adaptive storage management for exascale systems — expect them to be a key infrastructure partner in any post-2024 EuroHPC or exascale initiative.

How they like to work

DDN France mostly joins as a specialist partner (3 of 4 projects), contributing storage and I/O expertise to large research consortia. They did coordinate EVOLVE, their largest-funded project, showing they can lead when the topic centers on their core storage/data technology. With 71 unique partners across 18 countries, they operate as a broadly networked infrastructure provider rather than a tight-knit repeat-partner organization.

DDN France has collaborated with 71 distinct partners across 18 countries, reflecting the broad, pan-European nature of HPC and exascale consortia. Their network spans major European supercomputing centers, universities, and research institutions.

What sets them apart

DDN is one of very few commercial high-performance storage vendors actively embedded in European exascale research consortia. Unlike academic partners who study storage theory, DDN brings production-grade storage products and real-world deployment experience. For any consortium needing a credible industry partner for data-intensive infrastructure, DDN France offers both the technology and the EU project track record.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EVOLVE
  Their only coordinated project and largest single grant (EUR 1.1M), building a cloud-HPC testbed for big data across transport, maritime, and automotive sectors.
• ADMIRE
  Most recent and technically focused project — developing adaptive, intelligent I/O management for exascale, representing the frontier of their storage R&D.
• ESiWACE2
  High-profile weather and climate simulation excellence initiative where DDN's storage infrastructure directly enables large-scale Earth system modeling.