The HPCTRAIN consortium formally launched the European HPC Professional Traineeship Programme at its kick-off meeting in Brussels on 11 February. The meeting, hosted by PRACE at its head office, marked the start of this four-year initiative supported by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking under the Digital Europe Programme.
The project directly supports Europe’s ambition to strengthen advanced digital skills, expand access to supercomputing infrastructure and reinforce the continent’s digital technology supply chain by delivering more than 200 structured traineeships. Through the programme, talented students and early-career professionals are matched with leading EuroHPC Hosting Entities, research institutions and companies using HPC. Trainees gain hands-on experience with advanced HPC technologies, collaborate with industry on real-world challenges and develop the high-level digital skills in demand across Europe, while industry benefits from fresh expertise and enhanced access to HPC capabilities to accelerate innovation.
Following a consortium gathering on 10 February, the formal meeting the next day brought together representatives from all partners to align on governance, operational delivery and impact strategy.
The session opened with a welcome from Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ), which leads the project’s management and coordination, before partners outlined their respective roles in delivering the programme.
Framework for delivery
The morning session focused on the project’s management and coordination, setting out the governance structures, quality assurance processes and legal frameworks that will underpin the programme. Ensuring transparent decision-making, clear responsibilities and robust contracting procedures were identified as essential to delivering a professional, Europe-wide traineeship scheme aligned with EuroHPC standards.
Attention then turned to the management of the traineeship programme itself, the operational core of HPCTRAIN. Partners agreed on processes for identifying and publishing traineeship opportunities, evaluating applications and matching candidates with host organisations across supercomputing centres and industry. The aim is to ensure a transparent selection process and high-quality placements that provide meaningful, hands-on experience in HPC environments.
Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) then led discussions on performance and impact assessment, outlining how the programme will measure skills development, industry mobility and access to the labour market. By embedding monitoring mechanisms from the outset, HPCTRAIN ensures that its contribution to Digital Europe’s advanced skills agenda is both measurable and sustainable.
The afternoon session addressed project communication with PRACE presenting plans for the project website, promotional materials and engagement strategies targeting students, early-career professionals and host organisations. Strong visibility within the European HPC ecosystem will be key to achieving the project’s target of delivering 200 traineeships over the next four years.
Implementation
The meeting concluded with agreement on immediate next steps, including the rollout of initial traineeship opportunities and the activation of communication channels.
With its governance framework established and delivery roadmap defined, HPCTRAIN now moves into full implementation. The project is now on track to strengthen Europe’s HPC talent pipeline and support the strategic objectives of EuroHPC and the Digital Europe Programme.
Further updates and upcoming traineeship calls will be announced shortly. Watch this space!