Inauguration of the “ISDM-MESO Computing and Cloud” cluster at the University of Montpellier

[Press release] - Published on April 30, 2025 in Press Room, Major Programs

On Wednesday, April 30, the University of Montpellier inaugurated its new Computing and Cloud Cluster at CINES on the Saint-Priest campus, a digital infrastructure for research serving computing and cloud needs, in conjunction with its massive storage offering. This new digital equipment is financed under the State-Region Plan Contract by the State, the Region, the Metropolis, and the University of Montpellier to the tune of €2.56 million. It is part of the Regional Data Center certified in Occitanie (Drocc).

In the presence of Pierre-André Durand, Prefect of the Occitanie Region, Prefect of Haute-Garonne, Michaël Delafosse, Mayor of Montpellier, President of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, Carole Drucker-Godard, Rector of the Occitanie academic region, Rector of the Montpellier Academy, Chancellor of Universities, Khaled Bouabdallah, Deputy Rector for Higher Education, Research, and Innovation for the Occitanie academic region, Marc Sztulman, Regional Councilor for Digital Technology, Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier, Michel Robert, Director of the National IT Center for Higher Education (Cines), and Anne Laurent, Vice President for Open Science and Research Data at the University of Montpellier, Director of the Montpellier Institute for Data Science (ISDM).

A favorable environment for the establishment of this cluster

Numerical computing solutions and the exploitation of big data using artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms are at the heart of current scientific and technological advances. The mesocenter run by the University of Montpellier within the Montpellier Institute of Data Science (ISDM) provides advanced solutions to all scientific communities.

More than 10,000 users and over 400 research laboratories use the ISDM-MESO mesocenter, as do companies (such as BRLI and Predict Services for environmental risk prediction). Designed to benefit all communities, it is based on a model that aims to strike the right balance between rationalization and pooling of equipment on the one hand, and customization of environments on the other. It thus serves not only experts who also use national and international equipment, but also non-experts who have very little access to this type of equipment, which can nevertheless significantly accelerate the production of highly valuable results.

The cluster will be named after Isabelle Olivieri (1957-2016), a renowned specialist in population biology and mathematical modeling, and an iconic figure in Montpellier's scientific community.

"At a time when science and research are under attack in many countries, posing major risks to democracy, the Occitanie region is asserting itself as a territory that invests in the future of our fellow citizens and our economy, thanks to our researchers. The creation of this cluster marks a decisive step in positioning Occitanie as a leading region in computing, data storage, and artificial intelligence. As an integral part of the Regional Data Center, this new facility illustrates the successful alliance between academic research and industrial innovation, with very concrete applications for our residents, whether in terms of climate risk management, including better flood risk forecasting, or health. This cluster contributes to the goal we are collectively pursuing through the "IA Alliance Santé" project, led by the University Hospital and the University of Montpellier, which aims to make the University Hospital the first national pilot site for the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare. AI can be an opportunity when it is regulated by public authorities for the benefit of human progress, " Carole Delga, President of the Occitanie/Pyrénées-Méditerranée Region.

"The ISDM-MESO is a strategic project for the Montpellier metropolitan area, at the crossroads of research, innovation, health issues, and artificial intelligence. This project strengthens our position as a leading scientific region, capable of quickly mobilizing all of its stakeholders—local authorities, universities, businesses—around a shared ambition. It demonstrates our ability to anticipate major transformations and to carry out high-impact projects, supported by increased funding and clear political will. Through ISDM, Montpellier is reaffirming its leading role in building scientific and technological sovereignty for the common good," said Michaël Delafosse, Mayor of Montpellier and President of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole.

"The inauguration of the ISDM-MESO Computing and Cloud Cluster at the University of Montpellier marks a crucial step in strengthening the research and innovation ecosystem in Occitanie. I would like to warmly commend the commitment and mobilization of all those whose vision and determination have made this cutting-edge digital infrastructure a reality, providing a real lever for scientific excellence. At a time when digital computing solutions and artificial intelligence are key drivers, particularly in decision-making, this latest-generation equipment is an absolutely crucial tool. It provides our researchers with an optimal working environment to explore new frontiers of knowledge and meet the challenges of tomorrow. " Carole Drucker-Godard, Rector of the Occitanie academic region, Rector of the Montpellier Academy, Chancellor of Universities.

"It is with immense pride that we inaugurate the new ISDM-MESO computing and cloud cluster at the University of Montpellier, a state-of-the-art infrastructure serving our academic and scientific community. This tool, designed to meet growing computing power needs, marks a decisive step forward for UM. This cluster is not just a technological investment: it symbolizes our unwavering commitment to research, which is, and remains, a fundamental mission of our university. Montpellier has long been a hub of innovation, recognized for the excellence of its laboratories, the richness of its partnerships, and its ability to foster dialogue between disciplines. Artificial intelligence, now at the heart of the major transitions we are undergoing, is a strategic focus for our institution. In many fields, AI is already fueling several projects and opening up new perspectives. Thanks to this infrastructure, we are giving our scientific community the means to meet the challenges of the 21st century and affirming the UM's position as a key player in progress, knowledge, and digital transformation, " said Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier.

Equipment offering the best possible compromise between performance and environmental impact

With this equipment, the University of Montpellier, with its strong research and training excellence, is strengthening its ability to meet the needs of researchers, with a particular focus on minimizing environmental impact.

Selected and configured under the direction of Alexandre Dehne Garcia, research engineer at INRAE's DipSO and acting as the cornerstone of the ISDM-MESO mesocenter alongside technical director Jean-Luc Oms, research engineer at CNRS (LIRMM – Joint Research Unit of the University of Montpellier), the future machine, purchased from Lenovo, a recognized player in the world of HPC, will contain some 10,000 AMD cores and NVIDIA H100 quad GPU servers with full direct water cooling, 2.8 petabytes of high-performance WekaIO storage, and interconnections with two networks at 200 Gb/s each. This solution will be backed by the recognized high-quality 15 petabyte mass storage solution already in place at the mesocenter, which has been the subject of several partnership agreements with research organizations for mass use by scientific communities (CIRAD, INRAE, Inserm, IRD).

Projects requiring this infrastructure are very common in Montpellier, both in the field of mathematics and computer science, but also particularly in projects involving algorithms and artificial intelligence methods that have a significant impact on the challenges of "Feeding, Caring for, and Protecting" people. Ranked highly in numerous rankings, including second in the world in the Shanghai thematic ranking on ecology, the University of Montpellier thus aims to combine scientific excellence with a commitment to reducing its environmental impact. The equipment will be housed at Cines, a national player with three missions (high-performance computing, long-term archiving, and hosting), whose expertise was recently recognized with the arrival of the Adastra supercomputer, the most powerful in France and ranked^third in the world for its low environmental impact in the Green 500.  At the end of 2023, Cines obtained funding from the Ministry of Higher Education and Research MESR) to reinforce the electrical supply and to allow warm water (32°C) to be supplied to the SM1 machine room where the new equipment will be housed. This will not only make it possible to measure the actual consumption of the equipment, but also to significantly reduce the environmental impact by no longer cooling the water to low temperatures, as is currently the case.

The commitments and involvement of local authorities alongside the University of Montpellier

This order was made possible thanks to the mobilization of all stakeholders to plan the first phase of the 2021-2027 CPER (State-Region Partnership Contract). As a result, Montpellier Métropole has released its entire contribution of €704k. The Occitanie Region is contributing €900k to this order. The Region is working closely with the University of Montpellier on all Occitanie Regional Data Center (Drocc) projects, and this equipment will enable the renewal and strengthening of the Drocc-Est service offering, with ISDM as the operational center and leader for all stakeholders in Eastern Occitanie (Drocc-Est HPC computing services, Drocc-Est storage, and Research cloud Research ). The State is contributing €606k to the 2022 (€300k) and 2023 (€306k) CPER programs. The University of Montpellier has invested €350k in this order and is the main contributor to the mesocenter's hosting costs.