The agreement was formally signed on 14 November at the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space in Paris, with senior representatives from the ministry, the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO), Eviden and the SKA-France consortium in attendance.
SKAO deputy director-general Dr Simon Berry said France has been central to the project’s computing design work for several years and has played a major role in shaping the technical foundations of the science data processor (SDP).
“France has played a leading role in developing and designing the high-performance computing solutions for the SKAO,” Berry said. “These contributions have been instrumental in ensuring our systems meet the highest standards of sustainability and scientific capability. This agreement with Eviden reflects France’s commitment and the vital role it plays in delivering this global project.”
The SDP will be responsible for processing and reducing vast volumes of raw telescope data into detailed, science-ready images of the universe.
Once operational, the SKA telescopes will face an unprecedented data load, equivalent to more than 1 million simultaneous 4K Netflix streams, which must be condensed in real time to just a fraction of that volume before eventually generating around 700 petabytes of archived data each year.
Initial deployments of the SDP hardware are expected in 2026 at the SKA-Low site in remote Western Australia and the SKA-Mid site in South Africa’s Karoo region.
Eviden will deliver the SDP Computing work package for both telescope locations. The contract marks a significant milestone for France, which became an SKAO observing member in 2021 and is awaiting final parliamentary ratification to join the observatory as a full member.
The collaboration builds on earlier agreements between SKAO and French research institutions, including CNRS, CEA, Inria and several universities, which coordinate national SKA involvement.
Nick Rees, the SKAO’s head of computing and software, said the computing system must meet stringent technical requirements while remaining flexible enough to evolve over time.
“The hardware must be deployed in scalable units and accommodate technological advances during the multi-year construction period,” Rees said. “We’re dealing with an extremely big data challenge, and Eviden is bringing a mature, tested solution to the table. We’re very pleased to have them join our delivery journey.”
Eviden’s solution is built around predefined scalable units (SUs) that can be added on demand as the telescopes expand. The company will provide a mix of Intel-powered high-performance computing architectures paired with DDN storage systems to manage the low-latency, high-efficiency data handling required for the observatory’s workflow.
Local support in Australia and South Africa will be delivered through partner Evernex and Eviden will supply the system-level software to unify the entire hardware stack.
Emmanuel Le Roux, Eviden’s global head of advanced computing and AI at Atos Group, said the SKA project represents one of the most ambitious scientific undertakings of the decade.
“This project places Eviden’s technology at the heart of building the world’s two largest radio telescope arrays,” he said. “Our co-designed, robust, scalable and energy-efficient solutions will help unlock new discoveries about our universe. We’re proud to contribute a solution designed in Europe and deployed across two continents.”
French government and research leaders also welcomed the partnership, with Jean-Luc Moullet, chief research and innovation officer at the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space, saying France’s contribution reflects the country’s strengths in both astronomy and high-performance computing.
“This alliance between astronomers and Eviden comes with fantastic innovation prospects,” he said. “It demonstrates how ambitious research can push technology to its limits while minimising environmental impact.”
CNRS president and CEO Antoine Petit said France’s industry and research community are well-positioned to help tackle the SKA’s immense data challenge.
“French engagement is critical in producing analysis-ready data from the massive streams generated by the telescopes,” he said. “This contribution will help redistribute hundreds of petabytes of data each year to scientists around the world and reinforces France’s commitment to sustainable, cutting-edge computing.”
As construction accelerates and the SKAO moves closer to early science operations, the Eviden partnership marks a key step in building the digital backbone of what will become the world’s most powerful radio astronomy facility.