Tampere University secures nearly €1 million from the Research Council of Finland for research on high-performance computing
The Research Council of Finland’s 2025 call to support international collaboration in high-performance computing aims to advance the development of a versatile future computing ecosystem and expand computing expertise into new sectors in both Finland and beyond.
The call is based on Finland’s strategic international partnerships with US, British, Japanese and Canadian partners in areas such as digitalisation, artificial intelligence, sustainable development and the green economy. The Research Council of Finland granted funding for twelve projects, totalling 6.4 million euros.
Senior Research Fellow, Docent Marja-Leena Linne has been awarded €490,191 for her project titled Engineering Brain Simulations for Exascale: From Cellular Dynamics to Network and Systems Neuroscience (EXABRAIN).
This project develops large-scale neuron-astrocyte network models on the EuroHPC JUPITER exascale supercomputer. By integrating cellular mechanisms with systems-level brain dynamics, it will investigate brain functions with unprecedented precision.
The aim is to determine how neuron-astrocyte interactions influence brain function in areas such as the somatosensory cortex and hippocampus. Although astrocytes are fundamental to synaptic function, learning and memory, their role in the brain remains underexplored.
The EXABRAIN project will model biologically accurate networks that cannot be effectively or accurately simulated on other systems. Moving forward, these models will be integrated into whole-brain simulation platforms and contribute to neuromorphic computing, paving the way for new computer architectures.
Professor Esa Rahtu has received €495,514 for a project titled Unified 3D Vision for Structure, Semantics, and Immersive Modelling (PRISM). This project is conducted in collaboration with Professor Juho Kannala from the University of Oulu, Finland.
The PRISM project explores how computers can better understand and model the three-dimensional world using images and videos. The goal is to develop intelligent systems that combine geometric structure, visual meaning and immersive appearance into a unified 3D model.
The project will focus on creating accurate and efficient methods that work without laborious manual calibration, making them easier to apply in practice. It will leverage large-scale learning powered by high-performance computing.
The outcomes will be especially relevant for applications such as autonomous vehicles, robotics and augmented reality, which require a reliable, real-time understanding of complex real-world environments.
The EXABRAIN and PRISM projects will begin on 1 January 2026 and conclude on 31 December 2028.
For more information, please visit the Research Council of Finland’s website
