The CCNI was built as a result of a $100 million partnership between RPI, IBM, and New York State. The facility ranks as the seventh most powerful supercomputer in the world, according to the 29th edition of the Top500 List, and the center is currently the most powerful university-based system.

RPI announced in May 2006 that it would build such a facility to reduce “the time and costs associated with designing and manufacturing nanoscale materials, devices, and systems,” according to the CCNI’s Web site. Construction was completed in roughly a year, in time for a sneak-preview last May.

The celebration was kicked off by a presidential colloquy, entitled “The Future of Computationally Enabled Discovery and Innovation.” Five of the nation’s leaders in technology and innovation participated in the colloquy that attracted a packed. President Shirley Ann Jackson served as the moderator, and the four panelists were: Director of the National Science Foundation Arden L. Bement Jr.; Senior Vice President and Director of Research for IBM John E. Kelly III ’78; Science Adviser to the President John H. Marburger III; and President of the National Academy of Engineering Charles M. Vest. The participants in the colloquy represented a cross-section from areas of government, science, academia, and industry.

The colloquy focused on how the United States can best develop computational infrastructure to help maintain its position in the world, and how it can explore radically new approaches of using computational tools to promote discovery and innovation.

“It is the ‘I’ in the CCNI that really matters: innovation,” said Jackson.

“Such facilities can help us continue to hold world leadership,” said Marburger, during the colloquy. “The introduction of the blue gene has lended itself to rapid change already.”

Kelly, recipient of the 2007 Davies Medal for engineering achievement, said that collaboration was the key to such projects. “Collaboration is not additive, but multiplicative or even exponential,” he explained. “We must break through the nano-barrier,” said Kelly, “and this facility will be a driving force in doing so.”

Following the colloquy, the ribbon-cutting ceremony was held with representatives from the three partners in the development of the facility: Jackson, Kelly, and New York State Senator Joseph L. Bruno.

“The supercomputer is yet another example of the positive synergy that is created when government, higher education, and the private sector work together,” said Bruno.

Prior to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Kelly said, “It took three things to accomplish our goals: vision and commitment to do something big, immense resources, and perfect execution and implementation.”

A ribbon was brought to the front of the room in the DCC, and Jackson, the four panelists, along with Bruno and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Samuel Heffner ’56 all cut the ribbon to celebrate the grand opening of the CCNI facility.