IIT Bhubaneswar Sets Up AI & High Performance Computing Research Centre

Bhubaneswar: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar has set up an AI and HPC Research Centre (AHRC) to conduct interdisciplinary and collaborative research in the fields of artifical intelligence (AI) and high performance computing (HPC).

Designed as a National Research Centre, AHRC will involve participation of other eminent academic, industry and government research organisations in India and abroad in an effort to find solutions to real world problems in several areas through research, innovation and application of artificial intelligence and high performance computing.

Scientists and academicians from multiple disciplines across institutions will come together to form a common resource pool and knowledge pool to cope with this fast-moving field.

Researchers from different fields of engineering, computer science, medicine, agriculture, basic sciences, finance, economics and other areas will work together to find integrated and comprehensive solutions to problems faced by industry and society.

The most pressing research and innovation focus of AHRC is in the application of artificial intelligence and high performance computing in areas that directly benefit society such as medicine, agriculture, environment, sustainable communities, smart cities and cyber security.

IIT Bhubaneswar Director Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar will serve as the Chairman of AHRC Board and Prof. Ashwini Kumar Nanda will lead AHRC activities as its founding Centre-Director.

Prof. Subhranshu Ranjan Samantaray and Professor Manoranjan Satpathy will be Associate Centre-Directors of AHRC.

“This one-of-a-kind national research centre hosted by IIT Bhubaneswar will provide a global platform to the researchers from the state and across India for leading edge research and innovation in the field of Artificial Intelligence and high performing computing, which is the need of the hour,” said Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar.

Prof. Nanda said the goal of AHRC is to bring global knowhow to serve the people of India, as well as make global technology impact and serve the global community through its world-class research.

AHRC will establish research collaboration with over a dozen US universities and industrial laboratories, and is also collaborating closely with national institutions like AIIMS and other IITs, as well as universities in Odisha and Odisha state government.

For starters, AHRC scientists are working to develop AI tools for diagnosis of several diseases and fast screening for life threatening diseases in rural communities in Odisha in collaboration with scientists from AIIMS Bhubaneswar and State University of New York.