Middle East Technical University Application and Research Center for Space and Accelerating Technologies (IVMER) has joined CERN openlab, a public-private partnership run by CERN (the European Laboratory for Particle Physics) that works to drive innovation in computing technologies. The agreement was signed on the 1st of April, 2020.
METU IVMER will carry out joint operations with gluoNNet (http://www.gluonnet.com) within this CERN openlab collaboration. Together, the project members will develop particle-tracking algorithms for quantum computers and will investigate the possibility of using these within industry, such as for data analysis related to aviation or logistics. Since gluoNNet’s creation in 2018, its core mission is to provide transparent and evidence-based analyses by using cutting-edge technologydeveloped at CERN andbeyond, to target NGOs andcommercial industries.
Established in 2001, CERN openlab is a unique public-private partnership. Through this partnership, CERN works with leading ICT companies and research institutes to speed up the development of new computing technologies required by the scientific community. CERN openlab plays an important role in ensuring members of CERN’s global research community have access to the latest ICT solutions needed to help them continue pushing back the frontiers of knowledge about the universe.
CERN openlab currently runs 26 joint R&D projects with its collaborators from industry and research. These address challenges related to networking, data centers, database technologies, cloud infrastructures, code modernization, data collection, data processing, data engineering, high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and more. Today, the leading companies working together with CERN through CERN openlab are as follows:Google, Oracle, Intel, Micron, Siemens, IBM, E4 Computer Engineering, be-studys, Cambridge Quantum Computing, Comtrade, and Open Systems. Research institutes participating in CERN openlab include Fermilab, Eindhoven University of Technology, Newcastle University, and The Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), as well as several other organizations.
IVMER was established to conduct research for space and accelerator technologies within METU in 2019 and runs a facility for conducting proton irradiation tests in Ankara. IVMER aims to reduce brain drain by creating an attractive environment for young researchers working in accelerator and space technologies in Turkey. It also aims to reverse the brain drain from the country and educate qualified fresh human resources in these fields.
Prof. Dr. Bilge Demirköz, Director of IVMER and faculty member in the METU Department of Physics, explained the research to be carried out by IVMER, which has been prominent for its successful work since its foundation:
“Through its membership in CERN openlab, METU IVMER will have the opportunity to establish productive relations with many prestigious universities, research institutions, and companies. CERN is sharing its expertise with the project collaborators, as well as providing access to its high-tech infrastructure and a wide range of ICT applications. METU hopes to make new scientific breakthroughs with international collaborations in many innovative fields, especially in quantum technologies, in parallel with the developments in the world.”
“We are very pleased to be working with gluoNNet and METU on these challenges,” says Alberto Di Meglio, head of CERN openlab: “Building on their connections and expertise, we aim to explore fully the potential of new quantum algorithms — firstly for particle physics, but also beyond.”
For further information, please visit http://ivmer.metu.edu.tr/ for METU IVMER, and https://openlab.cern/ for CERN openlab.
