BSC participates in the KOIOS project that promotes the use of AI in emergency situations such as earthquakes

29 July 2022

The department of Computational Applications in Science and Engineering will develop simulations of seismic movements to improve the response of society from different fields

The Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS) is part of the KOIOS project selected by the European Commission to develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications for uses related to security and defense in emergency situations such as possible earthquakes. The initiative, in which fourteen institutions and companies from different European countries participate, has been financed with 10 million euros by the European Defence Fund.

The aim of KOIOS is to explore the adaptation of machine learning systems to emergency scenarios where data availability and computational capacity are limited. BSC's Computer Applications in Science & Engineering (CASE) department will develop a collaborative platform to analyze different AI models for several use cases, ensuring humane, safe, explainable, and ethical supervision according to standards developed by the European Union (EU).

Among the BSC's specific roles in the project is the use of its high-performance supercomputing infrastructure to develop earthquake simulation applications that can accelerate and improve the response and decision making of emergency services, both by Civil Protection and the Military Emergency Unit.

The initiative, funded by the European Commission, will be developed by a consortium of fourteen entities made up of technology centers, universities and companies from eight European countries: Germany, Ireland, France, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Sweden and Spain.