"INCD becomes CNCA, expanding its mission to drive advanced computing in Portugal. "
The focus on advanced computing is crucial for Portugal's scientific and economic development. In this context, the INCD Association (National Distributed Computing Infrastructure) has adopted a new identity and mission, transforming into the CNCA Association (National Advanced Computing Center). This change reflects the expansion of INCD's scope, now taking on a central role in managing, promoting, and operationalizing advanced computing infrastructures at the national level.
With its statutes and identity updated, CNCA's mission is to support scientific research, technological development, knowledge transfer, and human resource qualification. Additionally, it will continue providing specialized services in key areas of advanced computing, including consultancy and technical support of excellence for the academic, scientific, and business communities.
INCD, established under the Roadmap of Research Infrastructures of Strategic Interest of the FCT, has already played a vital role in providing distributed computing services to the national and international scientific community. The infrastructure is integrated into highly relevant initiatives such as the European Grid Infrastructure (EGI), the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG), and the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), fostering strategic collaborations to advance science and technological innovation.
The transformation into CNCA enhances these capabilities, making the center a key player in promoting advanced computing in Portugal. CNCA will act as a manager and facilitator of initiatives within the National Advanced Computing Network (RNCA) and strengthen Portugal's participation in high-impact international projects like EuroHPC and iMagine.
On January 31, at 3:00 PM, an online session will be held to present the CNCA. During the event, details about its operational model, initial resources, and the process for interested entities to join will be shared. Participation is free but requires prior registration. Upon registration, participants will receive the access link.
To encourage dynamic interaction, interested parties can send questions to cnca-questoes@incd.pt by January 27.
With this new structure, CNCA reaffirms Portugal’s commitment to science and technology, positioning the country at the forefront of advanced computing and strengthening collaboration across the academic, scientific, and business communities.