Laboratorio Nacional de Computacao Cientifica

Their core work

LNCC is Brazil's National Laboratory for Scientific Computing, based in Petrópolis, operating under the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. Their core mission is providing national HPC (High-Performance Computing) infrastructure, developing computational methods, and enabling large-scale scientific simulations across disciplines including biomedicine, physics, and engineering. In H2020, they appeared in two very different projects — a large Zika virus research alliance and an EU-Brazil HPC coordination network — suggesting they serve as a scientific computing bridge between Brazil and Europe rather than a narrow domain specialist. Their real value to international consortia is computational capacity, scientific computing expertise, and institutional access to Brazilian research infrastructure.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 project (ZIKAlliance, 2016–2021), LNCC appeared in a health emergency response context — a large global consortium responding to the Zika outbreak — where their contribution was almost certainly computational rather than biomedical. Their second project (RISC2, 2021–2023) shifted explicitly to their institutional core: HPC coordination, AI, roadmapping, and bi-lateral EU-Brazil policy dialogue. The trajectory is a move away from opportunistic participation in broad health alliances toward deliberate positioning as a scientific computing hub in EU-Latin America cooperation.

LNCC is consolidating around HPC infrastructure diplomacy and EU-Latin America research coordination — future collaborations are most likely in large-scale computing, AI for science, or transatlantic research alliances.

How they like to work

LNCC has participated exclusively as a partner, never as a project coordinator — a pattern consistent with their role as a national infrastructure provider that joins consortia to contribute capacity rather than lead them. Both their projects were large, multi-partner initiatives (ZIKAlliance alone had dozens of institutions), which means LNCC is comfortable operating within complex international structures. Their 70 unique consortium partners across 25 countries reflect the scale of those projects, not a deep bilateral loyalty network.

LNCC has touched 70 unique consortium partners across 25 countries through just two projects — a footprint driven entirely by the large-consortium nature of ZIKAlliance and RISC2 rather than sustained bilateral relationships. Their geographic reach extends well beyond Latin America, with strong European ties established through both projects.

What sets them apart

LNCC is one of the very few Latin American national HPC laboratories with a track record in European H2020 projects, making them a rare and valuable bridge for consortia that need to include a credible Brazilian scientific computing partner. For EU projects targeting Latin American research communities or requiring transatlantic HPC coordination, LNCC brings both institutional legitimacy and infrastructure access that no European partner can replicate. Their combination of computational depth and policy engagement (via RISC2) also makes them relevant beyond pure infrastructure roles.

Highlights from their portfolio

• RISC2
  Directly aligned with LNCC's institutional mission — coordinating HPC research between Europe and Latin America — and included roadmapping, AI, and bi-lateral policy dialogue, positioning LNCC as a strategic voice in transatlantic computing policy.
• ZIKAlliance
  A large global health consortium responding to the Zika emergency, demonstrating LNCC's ability to contribute computational capacity to urgent, multi-disciplinary international research efforts.