MSO4SC · Project

Cloud Platform That Lets Companies Run Complex Simulations Without Supercomputers or PhD Staff

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Imagine you need to predict how pollution spreads in your city or figure out the best way to filter drinking water — but the math behind it requires a supercomputer and a team of specialists you can't afford. MSO4SC built a kind of "app store" for heavy-duty simulations that runs in the cloud, so you just pick the model you need and hit go. Think of it like how Spotify lets you stream music instead of buying every album — except here you're streaming supercomputer power for things like wind forecasting, pollution tracking, and water treatment optimization.

By the numbers

consortium partners across Europe

countries represented in the consortium

total project deliverables produced

research organizations in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Companies in energy, environment, and water sectors increasingly need complex mathematical simulations — for predicting wind fields, tracking air pollution, or optimizing water filtration — but running these models requires supercomputing resources and specialized mathematicians that most firms cannot afford. Small and mid-size enterprises are especially locked out, forced to either skip critical simulations or outsource at high cost with long lead times.

The solution

What was built

An operational cloud-based e-infrastructure consisting of the MSO Portal (a user-friendly interface), the MSO Cloud (cloud computing backend), and an integrated catalogue of mathematical simulation applications with development tools for fast prototyping. Pilot implementations were completed across multiple real-world scenarios through the final project milestone at M24, with 27 deliverables produced in total.

Audience

Who needs this

Environmental consultancies needing air pollution dispersion modellingWater treatment utilities optimizing filtration processesWind and solar energy developers needing accurate resource forecastingEngineering simulation firms seeking cloud-based HPC accessMunicipal planning departments modelling urban environmental risks

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Environmental consulting

SME

Target: Environmental monitoring and compliance firms

If you are an environmental consultancy dealing with air pollution modelling for urban planning or industrial permits — this project developed a cloud-based simulation portal where you can run validated pollution dispersion models without owning supercomputing hardware or employing computational mathematicians. The platform was piloted across multiple real-world scenarios and includes ready-to-use mathematical application catalogues.

Water utilities

mid-size

Target: Drinking water treatment plant operators

If you are a water utility struggling to optimize your filtration processes while keeping costs down — this project built cloud-accessible simulation tools specifically demonstrated for drinking water treatment optimization. Instead of hiring specialists to model your treatment chain, you can access pre-configured simulation applications through the MSO Portal deployed on cloud infrastructure.

Renewable energy

any

Target: Wind and solar energy developers and forecasting firms

If you are an energy company that needs accurate wind field predictions or solar radiation forecasts for site selection and grid balancing — this project created a cloud e-infrastructure with mathematical modelling tools for realistic wind and solar prediction. The 12-partner consortium across 7 countries validated these tools through operational pilot implementations.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost us to use this simulation platform?

The project developed an open e-infrastructure funded under Horizon 2020. Based on available project data, the platform was built as a cloud service reducing the need for expensive in-house HPC hardware and specialist staff. Specific pricing or licensing fees are not detailed in the deliverables.

Can this handle industrial-scale simulations, not just academic demos?

The project produced an 'Operational MSO4SC e-Infrastructure' with pilot implementations tested through M24 (final milestone). The deliverables describe fully integrated cloud infrastructure where all components were deployed together for use by pilots. However, scaling beyond pilot level would likely require additional infrastructure investment.

Who owns the IP and can we license the software?

The project was coordinated by ATOS SPAIN SA, a major IT services company, with 12 partners across 7 countries. The platform connects to the EU-MATHS-IN network. Based on available project data, IP arrangements and licensing terms would need to be discussed directly with the consortium, particularly ATOS as coordinator.

How long would it take to get our specific simulation running on this platform?

The project explicitly aimed to reduce 'time-to-market' for consultants by providing fast prototyping tools and adapted Mathematical Application Development Frameworks (MADFs). The deliverables include documentation on configuration steps and deployment procedures, suggesting setup is designed to be guided rather than built from scratch.

Does this integrate with our existing IT systems?

The platform was built as a cloud infrastructure with an integrated portal and application catalogue. Deliverables describe cloud management components and integration activities across work packages WP3 and WP4. The system is designed around cloud deployment, so integration with on-premise HPC systems would need to be evaluated case by case.

Is there ongoing support or is this a dead project?

The project ended in September 2018 and is now closed. However, the coordinator ATOS SPAIN SA is a major European IT company, and the EU-MATHS-IN network mentioned in the objectives is a permanent pan-European network of mathematical research centres. Continued development or support would depend on these organizations.

Consortium

Who built it

The 12-partner consortium spans 7 countries (DE, ES, FR, HU, NL, NO, SE) with a research-heavy composition: 4 universities, 4 research organizations, 2 industry players, and 2 other entities. The industry ratio is just 17% with zero SMEs, which means this was primarily an academic and research-driven effort. However, ATOS SPAIN SA as coordinator is a major European IT services company with commercial deployment capability, which adds credibility for bringing the platform to market. The connection to EU-MATHS-IN, a permanent pan-European network of mathematical research centres, provides a built-in channel for ongoing expertise and potential service delivery.

ATOS SPAIN SACoordinator · ES
FUNDACION PUBLICA GALLEGA CENTRO TECNOLOGICO DE SUPERCOMPUTACION DE GALICIAparticipant · ES
KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLANparticipant · SE
STIFTELSEN SINTEFparticipant · NO
UNIVERSITE DE STRASBOURGparticipant · FR
ZUSE-INSTITUT BERLINparticipant · DE
SINTEF ASparticipant · NO
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT BERLINparticipant · DE
BCAM - BASQUE CENTER FOR APPLIED MATHEMATICSparticipant · ES
SZECHENYI ISTVAN EGYETEMparticipant · HU
ATOS IT SOLUTIONS AND SERVICES IBERIA SLthirdparty · ES

How to reach the team

ATOS SPAIN SA is a large publicly listed IT services company — their innovation or research partnerships department would be the entry point.

Order a report on this consortium See ATOS SPAIN SA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how MSO4SC's simulation cloud can solve your specific modelling challenge? SciTransfer can connect you with the right consortium partner and help evaluate fit for your use case.

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