PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa says Computational Science is now indispensable to solving complex problems in every sector.
The President said this as he officially commissioned phase two of the Zimbabwe Centre for High Performance Computing at the University of Zimbabwe in Harare this Friday.
In a global world where technology is at the centre of everything, the commissioning of the Zimbabwe Centre for High Performance Computing phase two by President Emmerson Mnangagwa this Friday is a step in the right direction to ensure the country keeps abreast of technological advancements.
The centre was set up with aid from the Chinese Government.
It houses high performing computers and will position Zimbabwe to be a regional centre for data driven innovation as it allows the processing of data on a large scale, solving complex issues.
The first phase of the project was launched in 2021 and the second phase allows the processing of data 15 times better.
“This High-Performance Computer project is a result of the strategic collaboration between the Government of Zimbabwe and the People’s Republic of China.
It is a testament to the enduring cooperation between our two nations towards the pursuit of a shared and prosperous future. I would like to thank the People’s Republic of China for their support in the implementation of this high-tech project, which enables our young innovators to realise their dreams,” said the President.
The Head of State spoke on the importance of computer science in addressing challenges across various sectors.
“Computational Science is now indispensable to solving complex problems in every sector, from traditional science and engineering domains to key areas such as national security, public health, and economic innovation. Hence, High Performance Computer instrumentation is very important in scientific research. It is, therefore, commendable that, since the launch of the first phase of the High-Performance Computer in 2015, the HPC has been critical in carrying out advanced scientific research. This includes the modelling of weather and climate, through utilising data from our indigenous satellite3projects such as ZIMSAT 1 and ZIMSAT 2, as well as the development of the wetlands master plan for Zimbabwe,” he added.
President Mnangagwa highlighted that the development also speaks of the Second Republic’s commitment to technological advancements.
“The commissioning of this second phase of the National Super-computer re-affirms the Second Republic’s commitment to harnessing advanced computing technologies to drive research, innovation, and development across multiple sectors. I am informed that the upgraded cyber infrastructure significantly enhances Zimbabwe’s High Performance Computer’s capacity by over 15 times, making our nation a formidable player in the field of super-computing. In our quest to grow a globally-competitive digital economy, as elaborated in our national economic blueprint; the National Development Strategy 1, my Government is fully supporting the establishment of an innovation ecosystem of specialised data centres across the country.”
Key institutions including those in the health sector are already being hosted at the, “The High Performance Computer is already hosting the Impilo Electronic Health Records and Telemedicine systems being run by the Ministry of Health and ChildCare.The Civil Registry is also integrated with the High- Performance Computer for the implementation of Smart Policing, over and above supporting higher education, science and technology Institutions.”
The HPC centre earns Zimbabwe a place in the region in terms of having a place with high capacity to process data.
Zimbabwe and China’s bilateral relations continue to grow as evidenced by cooperation in the establishment of the centre.
