Future science – computer science: meeting the scale challenge

Scoping future capacities and applications of high-performance computing over the next 10–20 years.
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This document sketches a map for future computing research orientated around the scale challenge. It is structured into three major sections:

  1. ‘Grand challenges’ looks at the opportunities that computing at scale will open up, and the current technical roadblocks to getting there, through the prism of several scenarios.
  2. ‘Research opportunities’ outlines the areas where research is required to make computing at scale a reality, and the cross-disciplinary engagements required to tackle the grand challenges.
  3. ‘Education’ looks at the shifts in education needed to train a new generation of computing professionals proficient at computing at scale, and also at the impact that computing at scale could have on education.

This computer science project was the first in the Academy's initiative to conduct science foresighting studies. These studies consider the scientific potential for specific areas of study over the next few decades. The project culminated with the production of this report in 2013.