About the BSC-Microsoft Research Centre

The BSC-Microsoft Research Centre, comprised of a team of computer architects and programming language experts, conducts multidisciplinary research to overcome the challenges facing future multi- and many-core architectures.

In April 2006, BSC and Microsoft Research Cambridge started a research collaboration in the field of Computer Architecture. The success of this collaboration and the scientific results obtained by both teams has led to the creation of a joint research centre in Barcelona.

The joint research centre

BSC-MSRC Opening Ceremony In the picture, from left to right: Fabrizio Gagliardi, Andrew Herbert, Blanca Palmada, Josep Casanovas, Josep Huguet, Tony Hey, Mateo Valero, Carmen Andrade, Rosa García

BSC and Microsoft Research Cambridge extended their two year collaboration and created a joint research centre which opened in 18th January 2008 in Barcelona. The BSC-Microsoft Research Centre, comprised of a team of computer architects and programming language experts, conducts multidisciplinary research to overcome the challenges facing future multi- and many-core architectures.

The main challenge in designing future processors is how to make them easy to program. The research centre will tackle this challenge and aim to have an impact of the way processors for the mobile and desktop market segments are designed ten years from now and beyond.

The areas of expertise are:

• Computer Architecture
• Programming Languages

Stakeholders:

• Barcelona Supercomputing Center
• Microsoft Research Cambridge

Management Board:

• Fabrizio Gagliardi (Microsoft, External Research Director, EMEA)
• Andrew Herbert (Microsoft Research Cambridge, Managing Director)
• Tony Hey (Microsoft, Corporate Vice President of External Research)
• Osman Unsal (BSC, Computer Architecture for Parallel Paradigms Group Manager)
• Mateo Valero (BSC, Director)

Advisory Board:

• Krste Asanovic (University of California, Berkeley) 
• Fabrizio Gagliardi (Microsoft, External Research Director, EMEA)
• Tim Harris (Microsoft Research)
• Avi Mendelson (Microsoft, Academic Outreach and External Research, Israel)
• Daniel Reed (Microsoft, Director, Multicore/Scalable Systems)
• Marc Snir (University of Illinois, Urbana)
• Per Stenstrom (Chalmers University of Technology)