John Nuno Ferreira, general coordinator of FCCN, the digital services unit of the Foundation for Science and Technology, spoke about the topic of advanced computing and the investment made to make Portugal competitive and is aligned with the European strategy.
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Portugal has taken important steps to strengthen its advanced computing infrastructure. How do you assess the impact of the Deucalion supercomputer and the collaboration with MareNostrum 5?
The operationalization of Deucalion represents the end of a hiatus of more than 30 years in the provision of shared central resources of High Performance Computing (HPC) in Portugal. During this period, there were significant initiatives in distributed computing and computers for higher education institutions, but Deucalion marked a significant leap in HPC capacity. Additionally, the resources in MareNostrum 5 enabled a broader and more complete portfolio of services for more advanced users. The collaboration with Spain, which has proven crucial, also covered Deucalion, albeit more in the technical and institutional support aspect.
Investment in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and access to HPC systems are essential for Portugal to align with the European strategy for the digital and sustainable transition. What types of projects have been supported by national infrastructure?
Community engagement has been strong since the first computing project competition in 2021. By the end of 2025, 612 projects had been approved, spanning 94 entities, distributed throughout the country, including the autonomous regions, and covering all areas of knowledge. Of these projects, approximately 140 reference or utilize AI techniques.
Portugal's application to AI Future Factories is a significant opportunity to position the country as a leader in AI in Europe. What does this initiative consist of, and how important is it for Portugal?
This is an opportunity for us to be among the leading countries, given that no European country alone can achieve the prominence of other economic regions, such as the US or China. Therefore, the European Commission has placed the development of AI Factories at the top of the political agenda, as accelerators of AI-based innovation for SMEs and Startups European. AI Factories will have several pillars, namely data, software, support services, computing systems and training.
The creation of the National Center for Advanced Computing in Portugal is now a reality. What role does the FCT play in managing this center?
The FCT is closely linked to the new center, as it ensures the operation of the national computing platforms owned or supported by the FCT. This is, therefore, a close and ongoing relationship. The creation of the National Center for Advanced Computing is funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) and aims to reorganize the country's existing advanced computing centers and networks into a single entity.
Portugal has evolved from a peripheral user to a strategic player in HPC and AI. What are the next steps to ensure the country continues to attract investment and remains competitive internationally?
The central challenge is always the qualification of human resources. It is necessary not only to develop and consolidate the core operational and support teams for these new digital services, but also to train and support users, in order to bring the potential of these resources to more innovation and research agents. This is essential for us to continue being relevant active partners in this area, benefiting from the investments and competitive advantages created by AI.
