Holyoke chosen for computing center
The Western Massachusetts city of Holyoke has been selected to host an ambitious, "green," high performance computing center, according to plans that will be disclosed tomorrow by the state and a consortium of universities and technology companies.
The Holyoke high performance computing center, projected to cost approximately $100 million, will be managed by a collaborative led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Massachusetts that will also include the EMC Corp., the data storage giant based in Hopkinton, and Cisco Systems Inc., which has a regional research center in Boxborough.
Holyoke was chosen as the site for the center because of the availability of inexpensive, environmentally-friendly hydroelectric power from the nearby Connecticut River, according to members of the collaborative. Hol yoke is also situated near high speed data lines that run along the nearby Mass. Pike and Interstate 91.
At this stage, the partners have only agreed to participate in an intensive 120-day planning project that's intended to work out details such as siting, organization, and funding. But the backers say the computer center will create an important resource for the state's high-tech industry and academic institutions.
High performance computing uses powerful computers and clusters of networked computers to tackle particularly complex problems and sophisticated research projects.
But such computers demand a great deal of energy and cooling, both in ample supply in Holyoke's hydroelectric resources and canals.
If the center gets built, it will be a coup for the small city, which is one of the most economically challenged in Massachusetts. According to the most recent Census estimates, Holyoke's median family income is $38,819, compared with a national average of $60,374, and 28.3 percent of Holyoke families live below poverty level, compared with 9.8 percent nationally. In April, 2009, when the national the unemployment rate averaged 7.8 percent, Holyoke's rate was 10.7 percent.
The center will be a resource for academic and research institutions in Massachusetts, according to Claude R. Canizares, a physics professor, vice president for research, and associate provost at MIT.
"High performance computing is increasingly important in areas like climate modeling and biotechnology," he said, "but this kind of computing can be expensive, because it's so energy-intensive. That's why a Holyoke center will be good for the environment and good for the budget."
Paul Bosco, general manager and site executive for Cisco's New England Development Center in Boxborough, said Cisco is participating in the project "not just for the center, but for the opportunity to build a district that could attract high tech by a combination of green and cost-competitive energy."
Regional economic development is also on the agenda of Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Gregory Bialecki. "I'm hoping that the center will call attention to Holyoke's hydroelectric power and proximity to high speed data transmission fiber," he said.
Funding for the center, according to Bialecki, will come from the four partners and other academic and business partners the initial group will recruit. The center will also try to use federal funds expected to be made available as part of the Obama administration's economic stimulus programs.
"The potential for breakthrough technologies and research is enormous," Governor Deval Patrick said in a statement. "Both the center and collaboration will undoubtedly serve to lift up the city of Holyoke and regional economies throughout Western Massachusetts."
D.C. Denison can be reached at denison@globe.com. 