We use cookies for statistical investigation and analysis of browsing situation on our website. Our Personal Information Protection Policy is  here.

News & Topics

Show Report – SC 21

27/12/2021
COLUMN
After a 2-year absence the Super Computing (SC) show has returned to a real format. Industry stakeholders have gathered in St. Louis Missouri for this flagship show. This year the Exhibit Chair was Professor Matsuoka of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, who was instrumental in increasing the presence of Japanese exhibitors. 

Organisers reported about 3500 real registrations for the show, with a significant online participation also. This is well down on normal numbers, but inline with expectations. The showfloor was dominated with US exhibitors as you might expect, but alongside Japan there was plenty of involvement from Asia with Korea and China making their presence felt.

Despite headline-grabbing announcements from IBM with regards to their quantum computer technology recently, the majority of the show seems to be dedicated to traditional supercomputers and related software and infrastructure suppliers. The main objective for the event is not financial, but rather education-focused. It was noticeable tbe organizing committee had put plenty of effort into attracting young talent to the event in order to ensure research into this strategic field continues into the future.

It would be fair to say the show floor was quiet. Clearly a number of exhibitors were either unwilling or unable to attend which left more than a few holes in the Exhibit Hall onsite. It is still no easy job to get to the “Center of America” from some parts of the world. Considering the hall size is 46,600  sqm I think the organisers have done a fine job though and done their best to create a viable live event. Kudos to them and the management/operations teams of Hall-Erickson, Freeman and Spargo..

Our Business Development & Marketing Director Justin August spent 3 days onsite learning about Supercomputers and making new connections. It was an exciting moment to see an actual Quantum Computer being displayed by the University of Maryland. The presence of many research institutes and the US Ministry of Defence on the Exhibit floor clearly shows the how seriously this technology is being focused on as a strategic asset.

Next year SC will move to Dallas, and hopefully better onsite participation. A number of exhibitors also expressed interest in exhibiting at the ISC show in Hamburg next May. With outbound business already restarted I hope to see some of these connections made here come to fruition.
Related News