António Rio Costa, head of UTAD's Computer and Communications Services, highlights the role of the Scientific Computing Unit in "collaboration and cooperation in higher education".
What importance do you attach to our infrastructure in the performance of UTAD's activity and mission?
In the pursuit of its mission, UTAD is aligned with the mission and strategy of the Unit FCCN, as a provider of a digital research infrastructure, transversal to all areas of knowledge with coverage of the national territory. Through the Unit FCCN, it is possible to provide the academic community with services through a high-performance network.
In this way, the FCCN Unit provides UTAD with the necessary communications requirements, knowledge and advanced digital services that allow UTAD to be on the path to a more cohesive, collaborative, connected and competitive university.
Are there examples of specific projects that use this infrastructure? If yes, what is your evaluation of their performance?
There are several projects that UTAD uses, highlighting, in the area of collaboration, projects such as Colibri or, more recently, the NAU project. In the areas of security and authentication, we participate in initiatives promoted by RCTS CERT or in RCTSaai projects. In the area of connectivity, UTAD will soon be the target of an intervention to strengthen connectivity by the RCTS100 project. I would also highlight the participation in pilot projects of cloud experimentation, with UTAD, through the GEANT Cloud Services agreement, starting the implementation of GEANT cloud services. These projects are just some of the examples that demonstrate the importance for UTAD of the infrastructures provided. Obviously, our degree of satisfaction is high and with interest in continuing to participate and collaborate.
From the point of view of the services, which ones have proved particularly useful in the context of your activity? Why?
All the services that are made available are particularly important and useful in each of their pillars of activity. There are the services provided in the field of security (such as access to digital certificates through the RCTS Certificates services). In the field of knowledge, the knowledge access services provided by b-On are important and extremely useful in different areas. It is very difficult to single out one in particular. The gains that institutions make by accessing the various services that the FCCN Unit makes available to the community are very difficult to measure, due to their critical importance.
What next steps do you foresee for UTAD's collaboration with the Unit?
As already mentioned, UTAD is looking forward to strengthening its connectivity, thus making our institution more and better connected. This will make it possible to access and participate in new areas of research. We hope to be able to collaborate and participate in international projects with high connectivity and computing requirements very soon.
It would also be interesting for the Unit FCCN to be able to count on UTAD to boost the creation of digital research infrastructures in a distributed or virtual way. Other projects in which we are investing are aimed at taking the academy off campus, placing "eduroam" access points in the region to facilitate access for students and researchers. Not forgetting the areas of security and authentication.
Is there anything you'd like to add?
Just that the FCCN Unit is, in my opinion, a focal point for collaboration and cooperation in higher education. It is in this Unit that institutions like UTAD often find the support, help and advice they need to bring their projects to fruition. In many cases, this function is much more important than the services that are formally provided.
