TALOS (Technologies for Advanced Large scale Open Supercomputing) has currently as members, Bull, Quadrics, CEA, Intel and HLRS. The goals of TALOS are:

• Accelerating the development of high-performance computing solutions in Europe;
• Encourage the development of more open and powerful new technologies designed primarily for large-scale computing infrastructures and extensive server networks;
• Meet the technological challenges arising from large-scale computing systems and management of very high volumes of structured data;
• Provide European researchers and industry with world-class tools and expertise.

That is what Jean-François Lavignon from Bull told in Dresden. However, that was also all he did tell, despite that the lecture in Dresden was announced as a presentation on Talos.

The relation with PRACE is a little more clear. PRACE is a project to create a European HPC ecosystem in which top supercomputers have a place. This e-Infrastructure is intended for e-Science and hence has an academic focus.

The idea of Lippert is hat Prospect/Talos could play a role in creating an advanced HPC platform for this eco-system. Industrial partners could contribute to prototypes and prototype component research in PRACE. They could also take care of the innovations in PRACE of the research industry in Europe too.

Despite the fact that we do not hear much about PROSPECT (or TALOS) and there does not even seem to be a web page for either of the two projects, Lippert claims PROSPECT is an active open interest group that is approaching critical mass with about 25 partners. It will encourage industrial leadership of the process at contributing to the creation of an HPC industry in Europe. Guess time will tell.