IPP-BAS: Leading Institution in Scientific Computing and Grid Computing in Bulgaria

1. NA2 in Bulgaria SEE Federation Aneta Karaivanova, Rayna Georgieva and Krassimir Georgiev IPP-BAS, Sofia, Bulgaria

2. About IPP The Institute for Parallel Processing of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Center of Excellence) has a leading position among the scientific institutions in Bulgaria in: • Computer Science • Scientific Computations • Parallel and Grid Computing • Linguistic Modeling • Communications and Control Participation in the EGEE 2 activities: SA1, NA2, NA3, NA4 NA2 Partner Review, 27-28 November 2007, Prague

3. Major NA2 contribution • National Grid Day – January 2008 • 2 International scientific grid workshops: • “Computational Grid and Large-Scale Problems” in the framework of 6th int. conf. LSSC’07, June 2007, Sozopol, Bulgaria (publications in Springer LNCS) • “Network and Grid Infrastructures” in the framework of 3rd Balkan Conference on Informatics, September 2007, Sofia, Bulgaria • Industry events • Exhibitor at the annual national IT exhibition BAIT EXPO, November 2006, International EXPO Center, Sofia • Follow-up events: 3 seminars for SMEs, publications • 25 EGEE presentations at various: international scientific conferences (6), international scientific(2) and national workshops (1), governmental (4) and industry events (5), grid seminars organized within BAS (5), and other events NA2 Partner Review, 27-28 November 2007, Prague

4. Opening of the National Grid and Communication Center at IPP-BAS • Opening of the National Grid and Communication Center by the Chairman of the State Agency for Information Technology and Communications Mr. Plamen Vachkov • Presentation by academician Kiril Boyanov, director of IPP-BAS • Production of Press release • 10 publications about this event • BG04-ACAD has low-latency Myrinetinterconnect for all 80 CPUs – unique resource for special MPI jobs (on the picture) NA2 Partner Review, 27-28 November 2007, Prague

5. Computational Grid and Large Scale Problems • 6th Int. Conf. LSSC’07, June 2007, Sozopol, Bulgaria a good way to present grid applications with high scientific impact in front of a broad scientific audience • Selected papers published in Springer LNCS – a series with impact factor NA2 Partner Review, 27-28 November 2007, Prague

6. Media Relations • News Releases • Produced – 4 • Translated - 15 • Press Cuttings • National daily newspapers – 2 • Weekly newspapers – 9 • On-line media - 6 • Information Bulletin of BAS (in Bulgarian) – 4 • EGEE Newsletter - 1 • Interviews – 2 radio interviews • Scientific Publications • Springer LNCS – 3 • Journal "Avtomatica i Informatica" (in Bulgarian), distributed at the International Fair - Plovdiv (the fair has the largest ground in Southeastern Europe) – 2 • Conference Proceedings -3 NA2 Partner Review, 27-28 November 2007, Prague

7. Events • National events organized by IPP-BAS as a NA2 partner • Academia-related events • Special session: "Bulgarian Involvement in the EU Grid Initiatives" in the framework of the 6th Int. conf. on NMA, August 20-24, 2006, Borovets, Bulgaria • Seminar at the Institute of Microbiology, April 5, 2007 • Seminar at IPP-BAS (participants from Technical University – Sofia, May 21, 2007 • Seminar at the Bioinformatics section of the Bulgarian Union of Mathematicians, June 2007 • 7 dissemination/training events in the period November 2006 – June 2007 • Industry-related events • Exhibitor at the National IT exhibition 2006;Seminar “Grid technologies and grid applications. Bulgarian participation in the EU Grid initiatives” within the framework of BAIT EXPO 2006, November 2006, Inter EXPO Center, Sofia, Bulgaria • Presentations at the Microsoft IT Innovation Days 2007, and at 2 events organized by the State Agency of Information Technology and Communications NA2 Partner Review, 27-28 November 2007, Prague

8. Events • EGEE-2 promotion with materials • XII International Conference on Probability, Statistics and Data Analysis, June 18-23, 2006, Sozopol, Bulgaria • NATO workshop, June, 2006, Borovets, Bulgaria • John Vincent Atanassof International Symposium on Modern Computing, October 4-6, 2006, Sofia, Bulgaria • 6th International Conference on Large-Scale Scientific Computations, June 2007, Sozopol, Bulgaria • 3rd Balkan conference in Informatics, BCI'07, International Workshop on Network and Grid Infrastructures, September 27-29, 2007, Sofia, Bulgaria NA2 Partner Review, 27-28 November 2007, Prague

9. List of Events • EGEE-2 presentations at national and international forums • Meeting of the General Assembly of the BAS, January 29, 2007 • 7FP Launching conference, organised by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science, 31.01-1.02, 2007, Sofia, Bulgaria • “Innovation Days: Innovations and IT”, organized by Microsoft-Bulgaria, February 12, 2007, Sofia, Bulgaria • Workshop “Bridging academia and industry for successful technology-enhanced learning ” organized within the framework of European Day of the Entrepreneur 2006, November 7- 8, 2006, Inter EXPO Center, Sofia, Bulgaria • “BG induction to GRID Computing and EGEE project” within the NA3 project activities, November 28-29, 2006, IPP-BAS • “Introduction to Grid Computing, EGEE and Bulgarian Grid Initiatives” within the NA3 project activities, March 22, 2007, IPP-BAS • BIS-21++ Information Days, March 26-28, 2007, September 28-30 2007 NA2 Partner Review, 27-28 November 2007, Prague

10. List of Events • EGEE-2 presentations at national and international forums • Opening of the National Grid and Communication center at IPP-BAS, May 14, 2007 • Conference “European Integration, youth of Bulgaria and IT”, organized by State Agency on ICT, BAS, Military Academy, May 18, 2007 • Workshop “Methodological Support to Force Transformation” (in the framework of the First International Conference “Using Models and Simulations in Support of Force Transformation”), June 27-29, 2007, Sofia, Bulgaria • Jubilee International Conference “New Trends in Mathematics and Informatics”, Institute of Mathematics and Informatics – BAS, July 6 - 8, 2007, Sofia, Bulgaria • XXI International Symposium on Nuclear Electronics & Computing (NEC 2007), September 10-17, 2007, Varna, Bulgaria • Workshop “e-business - key factor for the growth of a competitive SME sector ” organized by the State Agency for ITC, Sofia, October 12, 2007 • NATO RTO MSG-049 meeting, November 8, 2007, IPP-BAS NA2 Partner Review, 27-28 November 2007, Prague

11. Production of promotional material • Production of own materials • Press Releases - 4 • Information sheets - 2 • Brochures – 1 (in preparation) • Translations • Press Releases - 15 • Information sheets - 25 • Other (articles from iSGTW, and related grid projects) - 7 NA2 Partner Review, 27-28 November 2007, Prague

12. Local websites • Major sections • NGI - 2 pages • Introduction to the Grid – 9 pages • Information about Grid Projects (EGEE-2, SEE-GRID2) - 7 pages • Local information - 7 pages • Helpdesk - 6 pages • Grid café - 24 pages • EGEE documents (inf. sheets, PR) • Announcements - 1 page • Average number of visitors per month • 590 hits,206 unique (for the last six months, Google Analytics)‏ • What are visitors interested mostly in: • Home page of the Bulgarian Grid Portal • Press corner • Helpdesk • Information materials • Gridcafe NA2 Partner Review, 27-28 November 2007, Prague

13. Targeted Dissemination for Industry • Local approach <seminars, industry days, presentations at business events and participation at exhibitions, specialized materials, etc.> • Participation at the annual national IT exhibition BAIT EXPO (November 2006) • Presentations at Industry targeted seminars and workshops: • November 2006, BAIT Expo Seminar “Grid technologies and grid applications. Bulgarian participation in the EU Grid initiatives”, Sofia • November 2006, Workshop “Bridging academia and industry for successful technology-enhanced learning“, International EXPO Center, Sofia • February 2007, Innovation Days, organized by Microsoft-Bulgaria “Innovation and IT”, Sofia • May 2007, Conference “European Integration, youth of Bulgaria and IT”, organized by State Agency on ICT, BAS and Military Academy • October 2007, Workshop “e-business - key factor for the growth of a competitive SME sector ” organized by the State Agency for ITC, Sofia • National Industry Day – January 2008, jointly organized by IPP-BAS and State Agency for ITC NA2 Partner Review, 27-28 November 2007, Prague

14. Participation at National IT Exhibition • BAIT EXPO, November 2006, IEC, Sofia, Bulgaria • One week exhibition • Online demo • EGEE materials • Seminar presentation • Visits of governmental representatives NA2 Partner Review, 27-28 November 2007, Prague

15. Plans for Q8 • All Activity meeting in Sofia, January 2007 • Brochure in Bulgarian (already in preparation) to be distributed at the National Grid Day, January 2008 • Closing seminar in March 2008 • Current work: updating www.grid.bas.bg, translations, media relations, presentations NA2 Partner Review, 27-28 November 2007, Prague

16. Our experience • The key for successful work: close collaboration between all EGEE team members (all activities) • Our strategy to expand the user community • Periodic workshops • Special EGEE sessions at major international conferences held in Bulgaria. Presentations and distribution of information materials. • Presentations by invitation at interested institutions in Bulgaria • Keeping the policy makers and the society as a whole informed about current grid achievements (through publications, presentations, papers, materials distribution) NA2 Partner Review, 27-28 November 2007, Prague