Meet AIST

The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), one of the largest public research organisations in Japan, focuses on the creation and practical implementation of technologies useful to Japanese industry and society, and serves as a bridge between promising technological innovations and their commercialisation.

We had a chat with Jason Haga, Chief Senior Research Scientist at AIST, with whom INESC TEC has been strengthening its collaboration in recent years.

What is the history of collaboration between AIST and INESC TEC? 

The collaboration between the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and INESC TEC started in 2019. This partnership was developed because of meetings at various international venues to discuss shared interests in advanced computing, high-performance computing (HPC), and immersive visualisation. We have consistently maintained our engagements through periodic meetings, researcher and students’ visits, and publications. 

Both institutions have a MoU signed in 2020. What are the main results of this scientific cooperation agreement? 

We hosted João Paulo, a researcher at INESC TEC, in early 2020 to begin the research activities under our MoU. The main results are several publications in top-tier conferences such as FAST, IPDPS, and Supercomputing. Four internship students were hosted by AIST, as well as several researcher visits over the last 5 years. Our MoU was renewed in January 2025 for another 5 years, which is a testament to the active nature of this collaboration, and we look forward to continuing these activities in the future. 

How do you rate your experience with INESC TEC?  

Partnering with INESC TEC continues to be very successful. The researchers have deep extensive knowledge of software-defined storage concepts and have helped us better understand how to manage HPC workloads. Additionally, INESC TEC’s dissemination and networking capabilities helped extend our network of contacts in the EU and is assisting us in advancing different international initiatives. 

What do you value the most in this collaboration?  

Computer science is increasingly becoming a team activity, especially with the rapid pace of research and development in large foundational AI models. As such, INESC TEC provides valuable access to undergraduate and graduate students. This presents opportunities for students to contribute to real-world research projects and for established researchers to train the next generation of researchers. 

What can we expect from AIST over the upcoming years? 

AIST will continue to engage with various institutions throughout the world to maintain and strengthen our international collaboration efforts. We recently launched our ABCI 3.0 supercomputer, which ranked 15th fastest in the global Top500 ranking. With the Deucalion supercomputer, where INESC TEC participates, we look forward to continuing to exchange information and best practices in the areas of HPC and advanced computing. We will also contribute to relevant international initiatives such as CENTRA and the Trillion Parameter Consortium.