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Lyra, the Data Center that connects ideas and drives research
Scientific computing has become a cornerstone of modern research. To tackle complex challenges in data analysis, artificial intelligence, and simulation, universities need infrastructures that combine computing power, connectivity, and sustainability. The new ULB Data Center at A6K was built precisely for this purpose.
This state-of-the-art facility provides a robust, energy-efficient, and secure environment dedicated to scientific computing, the use of advanced computing and data processing in research. Designed for efficiency, reliability, and sustainability, it supports the University’s research and innovation activities while strengthening A6K’s position as a key technological hub serving all innovation actors.
The Data Center was built to the highest standards of resilience and performance. It features dual electrical protected feeds, free-cooling technology to reduce environmental impact, and multi-layered physical and digital security. In line with A6K’s commitment to responsible infrastructure, the heat generated by servers will be recovered and reused to warm nearby office spaces.
Primarily dedicated to scientific computing, the Data Center hosts research-oriented systems for data processing, simulation, and artificial intelligence. Among these is Lyra, ULB’s new scientific supercomputer, operational since April 2025. Lyra is designed for large-scale data analysis and AI workloads, enabling researchers to process massive volumes of information and accelerate discoveries. The Data Center also houses ULB’s network connection to Belnet, Belgium’s national research network.
Lyra is part of the CECI consortium, which brings together the five universities of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (ULB, UCLouvain, ULiège, UNamur, and UMons) with their supercomputing facilities. Thanks to this collaboration, the computing resources hosted at A6K are accessible to all researchers within these institutions, fostering cross-university cooperation and shared scientific progress.
By hosting the ULB Data Center and its scientific computing infrastructure, A6K reaffirms its mission: to provide a shared, secure, and sustainable technological environment where academia, industry, and innovation converge. This initiative strengthens A6K’s role as a key enabler of research excellence and digital innovation.
