Milwaukee, WI – The Wisconsin Economic Development
Corp. and Milwaukee Institute today announced the
winners of its 2014 Computational Science Challenge Grants designed to accelerate product
development and research utilizing Wisconsin’s very own high-performance computing (HPC) and
storage resources.
Grant awardee companies are: Oilgear, Milwaukee;
Metamodeling, Madison; Helionx, Middleton; H20score, Milwaukee; Dedicated Computing,
Waukesha; and Microbe Detectives, Milwaukee.
Grant monies awarded ranged from $10,000 to $50,000 and
were based on the complexity and scale of each project.
The Milwaukee Institute, a non‐profit,
public service organization, received matching grants of $250,000 each from WEDC and Mason Wells, a local private
equity management firm, to fund the one-year program, the first of its kind in Wisconsin.
It is anticipated that some of the projects include
speeding the development of a neutron radiography camera, FEA/CFD testing of a hydraulically
powered pumping system for fracking, as well as a DNA-based microbial analysis system for
water.
The initiative is expected to promote high-tech job
growth in the state by accelerating the Institute’s long-term commitment to developing a
statewide center of excellence in applied computational science, high-performance computing and
mass data storage applications.
“We received numerous compelling applications for the
grants and I’m excited that the Institute will play a critical role in getting some of the winners
closer to full commercialization,” said Milwaukee Institute Executive Director Jay Bayne.
The Institute’s recently upgraded HPC cluster is the
largest publicly accessible supercomputing resource of its kind in Wisconsin and allows users to
simulate, model, visualize and analyze complex applications used in product development,
engineering, research and other projects. Under the grant terms, each company is expected to
complete its project by year’s end. The award amount will cover the Institute’s costs for
providing HPC resources and any associated professional services or technical support required.
An award ceremony and kickoff event will take place
February 25 at the Milwaukee offices of Mason Wells.
“We join the Milwaukee Institute in congratulating the
grant recipients and are looking forward to seeing what innovation will take place now that these
companies have access to the Institute’s specialized computing services,” said Reed Hall,
secretary and CEO of WEDC.
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