High-Performance Computing (HPC) is a powerful tool that enables complex computational models, massive datasets, and advanced simulations. Once limited to academic institutions, HPC is now transforming industries ranging from sustainability and healthcare to artificial intelligence and agriculture.
In the Netherlands, HPC usage is growing rapidly. Thanks to support from organizations like EuroCC Netherlands and SURF, more and more businesses and research groups have access to the computing power needed to drive large-scale innovation. In this blog, we showcase five diverse initiatives successfully using HPC—and what your organization can learn from them.
1. Driving sustainable innovation at The Green Village
The Green Village, located on the TU Delft campus, is a “living lab” where entrepreneurs, researchers, and public agencies collaborate to develop tomorrow’s technologies. This real-world testing ground focuses on innovations in energy, mobility, and sustainability—right in the midst of houses, vehicles, and residents.
Real environments mean real data. Sensors continuously capture information on energy consumption, weather conditions, user behavior, and network loads. Thanks to a partnership with SURF, a robust data infrastructure was established, allowing this data to be stored, shared, and analyzed effectively. HPC plays a key role in running real-time simulations and analytics—such as forecasting energy flows or optimizing local smart grids.
Impact: HPC accelerates the testing and validation of innovations, shortening the path from concept to scalable solution in sustainable urban development.
2. De Ocean Cleanup
Guided by simulation, powered by Purpose
The Ocean Cleanup is a Dutch nonprofit organization with an ambitious goal: removing plastic waste from rivers and oceans. Their solution involves not just floating barriers but also cutting-edge technology, data, and simulations to predict how plastic moves across water bodies.
To determine where and when plastic accumulates, the organization relies on data about ocean currents, wind patterns, and historical measurements. With access to the Cartesius supercomputer (Snellius’s predecessor) via SURF, they ran billions of simulations to model plastic drift across oceans.
Impact: HPC allowed The Ocean Cleanup to optimize its models and strategically plan deployments. This means collecting more plastic using fewer resources—an elegant synergy of technology and environmental responsibility.
3. AI-Driven agriculture
Smart soil analytics for better yields
Precision agriculture is on the rise. More and more farmers are leveraging technology to fertilize, irrigate, and monitor crops with greater accuracy. One example is the creation of digital soil maps based on in-field sensor data, satellite imagery, and historical records.
By combining and analyzing these large datasets with HPC, detailed maps can be generated that indicate soil composition at the square-meter level. This helps farmers fine-tune their inputs—such as water and fertilizers—and reduce waste.
Impact: HPC enables more efficient farming, reduced environmental impact, and improved yields. It also democratizes access to soil quality insights for smallholders and agri-tech companies.
4. Global mapping of floating plastic
From local observations to global insight
Researchers conducted a global study on floating marine plastic to better understand its distribution and composition. Using thousands of sampling points and historical datasets, they built a comprehensive picture of how plastic circulates and accumulates in oceans.
The analysis revealed that most floating debris consists of durable materials like fishing nets and plastic bottles, which can remain at sea for years. HPC enabled the processing of millions of data points into actionable models.
Impact: This research empowers policymakers to combat plastic pollution through international treaties and targeted cleanup efforts. Without HPC, this level of data analysis would not have been feasible.
Could HPC accelerate your project?
Whether you’re working on medical breakthroughs, sustainability, AI solutions, or infrastructure challenges—if your project involves large-scale data processing, complex calculations, or simulations, HPC could be a game-changer. Through EuroCC Netherlands, access to HPC resources is available to a wide range of organizations, including startups and SMEs.
Want to find out if HPC is right for you? Explore our Use Cases or get in touch with us directly.