SICOS BW GMBH

Their core work

SICOS BW is a High Performance Computing (HPC) competence centre based in Stuttgart, Germany, that helps industrial companies access and use supercomputing resources for engineering simulations and data analytics. They act as a bridge between HPC infrastructure providers and industry users — particularly in automotive, aeronautics, and manufacturing — offering training, consulting, and hands-on support to make HPC accessible to companies that lack in-house expertise. Their work focuses on translating raw computing power into practical engineering value, especially for simulation and modelling workflows in the Factories of the Future context.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

SICOS BW's early H2020 involvement (Fortissimo 2, 2015-2018) focused narrowly on cloud-based simulation services for manufacturing SMEs — making HPC accessible for factory modelling. From 2018 onward, their scope expanded significantly: EXCELLERAT positioned them within a European Centre of Excellence covering exascale computing, co-design, and multi-sector engineering (automotive, aeronautics, combustion), while EUROCC embedded them in the national EuroHPC competence centre framework. The trajectory is clear — from HPC service provider to ecosystem builder for European supercomputing infrastructure.

SICOS BW is positioning itself as a key node in the European HPC competence network, moving from project-level service delivery toward institutional infrastructure for industry-facing supercomputing skills and access.

How they like to work

SICOS BW never coordinates but consistently participates in very large consortia — 146 unique partners across 33 countries from just 3 projects indicates involvement in major European infrastructure initiatives. Their third-party role in EUROCC suggests they serve as a regional implementation arm for larger programmes rather than leading the strategic direction. This makes them a reliable, low-friction partner for large-scale HPC and digitisation projects where regional industry outreach and training capacity are needed.

With 146 unique consortium partners spanning 33 countries, SICOS BW has an exceptionally broad European network relative to its small project portfolio — a direct result of participating in pan-European HPC infrastructure programmes. Their network is heavily weighted toward HPC centres, research institutions, and engineering-intensive industries across the EU.

What sets them apart

SICOS BW occupies a specific niche: they are not an HPC hardware provider or a research lab, but an industry-facing competence centre that translates supercomputing capabilities into practical engineering outcomes. Based in Stuttgart — Germany's automotive and manufacturing heartland — they have direct access to the industrial sectors that benefit most from HPC adoption. For consortium builders, they bring the rare combination of deep HPC knowledge with genuine industry training and outreach capability, particularly valuable for projects that need to demonstrate industrial uptake of computing infrastructure.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EXCELLERAT
  Their largest funded project (EUR 373,000), positioning them within a European Centre of Excellence for engineering HPC applications spanning automotive, aeronautics, and combustion.
• EUROCC
  Part of the flagship EuroHPC national competence centre network, embedding SICOS BW in the long-term European supercomputing infrastructure strategy.