HPC Wales – the high performance computer project which will speed up innovation and give Welsh businesses a cutting edge – has appointed its chief executive.
David Craddock, 60, has been director of enterprise and collaborative projects at Aberystwyth University since 2009.
Mr Craddock is already a director of HPC Wales. He has been acting CEO of HPC Wales, the £40million project which will provide a world-class super computing network, a research and innovation institute and a skills academy.
The project now enters a key phase following the announcement that global technology giant Fujitsu is the successful bidder to partner with the universities in Wales to create the computer project, which will stretch to the four corners of Wales and have a reach across the rest of the globe.
The contract is worth £15 million over four years to Fujitsu, who will provide infrastructure and services along with subcontractors Microsoft and Intel.
It represents a quantum leap forward in high performance computing in Wales. It will give Wales the most advanced and evolving computing technology available.
Mr Craddock said: “’HPC Wales is an incredibly ambitious project that plans to provide user-focussed project services and training in high performance computing for researchers in businesses and universities that aims to speed up the innovation of new products and services.
“If we can do this successfully we will make Welsh businesses more competitive in global markets and hopefully help to grow the knowledge economy.
“HPC Wales is a unique collaborative venture in that the universities, with support from the Welsh Assembly, Welsh European Funding Office and UK Government, have joined forces to establish a charitable company that will deliver the project over the next four years. The challenge over that period will be to deliver economic benefit and to establish a sustainability plan that takes us beyond the funding period.
“Collaborative ventures offer a big management challenge and we could not have got this far without the support of our funders, the Vice-Chancellors of our universities, and dedicated individuals who have worked enthusiastically around the clock for many months to get us this far.”
As director of enterprise and collaborative projects at Aberystwyth University, Mr Craddock led a team of 30 staff, delivering research support and commercialisation developments working with academic departments and the senior management team.
As Interim CEO for HPC Wales he helped set up a special purpose vehicle and manage the interim team of managers from six university partners across Wales (Cardiff, Swansea, Aberystwyth, Bangor, Glamorgan and the University of Wales Alliance Universities).
He played a lead role in the original team that developed the vision and business plan for HPC Wales and secured £40m funding from BIS, Welsh Assembly and EU Convergence.
Prior to coming into the sector, David had worked with Unilever in a variety of international business roles and has been a Director of two SMEs.
Mr Craddock is a BA (Hons) graduate from Middlesex University. Married with five children, his family home is in Shrewsbury.
For more information visit the HPC Wales website – http://www.hpcwales.co.uk
