Gdańsk Tech has commenced the construction of the STOS IT center worth PLN 156 million

Gdańsk Tech has officially inaugurated its flagship project, which is also one of the largest infrastructure investments currently underway in the Tri-City area. The project is the STOS Competence Center (Smart and Transdisciplinary knOwledge Services), which is being built at a cost of nearly PLN 156 million on the university campus - on Traugutta Street, adjacent to the Building of Management and Economics at Gdańsk Tech.

As part of the investment, the Sopot-based company NDI, selected through a tender process, will construct an intelligent facility equipped with the latest generation technical and network infrastructure, enabling complex simulations as well as processing and archiving vast data collections. The most important element of the center will be the “bunker,” i.e., the server room, which is designed to meet the highest standards of data security (secured in such a way that the data stored there will be protected against fire, water, and even electromagnetic fields) and will be equipped, among others, with a supercomputer.

– The STOS Competence Center will be the new headquarters for the Computing Center of the Tri-City Academic Computer Network at Gdańsk Tech and one of the most innovative IT centers not only in Poland but also in this part of Europe – says Prof. Krzysztof Wilde, Rector of Gdańsk Tech. – The construction of the center is a response to market needs in research and development (R&D) services, which require computing, transfer, processing, and archiving vast datasets. This will be possible thanks to the supercomputer that will eventually be housed in the center. To put it simply: what would take a “home” PC several months to process, the STOS supercomputer will complete in just a few hours.

– The Center will create conditions for the implementation of innovative research projects for the academic community in Pomerania and will also assist companies and the socio-economic environment in executing large business ventures – says Prof. Henryk Krawczyk, the initiator of the STOS Competence Center and project leader. – It will also be used in scientific research in fields such as physics, chemistry, astronomy, biotechnology, and medicine, as well as for applied research aimed at the commercialization of science.

Work is already underway. What will be inside the STOS Competence Center?

Preparatory works for the construction of the STOS Competence Center began at the end of September. The contract between Gdańsk Tech and NDI includes the construction of the main building with an area of approximately 12,000 square meters, as well as the development of the surrounding area, including all necessary earthworks, structural, and finishing works. The work also includes the construction and equipping of the server room facilities.

The building, designed by the architectural studio Arch-Deco, will rest on a single foundation while being divided by a viewing axis oriented toward the Main Building of Gdańsk Tech.

– The base of the building with the server room has been placed underground, with its brick wall partially emerging on the side of Traugutta Street – explains architect Zbigniew Reszka, president of Arch-Deco. – Two volumes covered with titanium-zinc sheet metal are mounted on it: one in anthracite color, the other in silver.

The ground floor houses the server room with its special part, the so-called “bunker,” as well as a lobby, porter’s lodge, showroom, and office spaces. The first floor will contain offices with a conference room and social facilities, as well as technical rooms. On levels +2 and +3 there will be offices, ventilation rooms, cooling devices, and a technical section serving the server rooms. The building will have two underground levels intended for parking as well as technical and storage rooms.

The facility will be equipped with an intelligent building management system and environmental monitoring. There will also be a technological cooling system with heat recovery installation.

– The Center is being constructed based on Green Computing principles to minimize the environmental impact of IT operations while simultaneously enhancing the energy efficiency of the equipment and laboratories – explains Michał Sadowski, project director from NDI.

A demanding investment on challenging terrain

Initial works on the construction site began in mid-September. Since then, the so-called macro-leveling of the terrain and excavation have been completed, with further works ongoing. Builders emphasize that the investment is very demanding due to, among other things, its location. The STOS Competence Center is being built on the slope of Szubienicza Góra in Gdańsk Wrzeszcz.

– This is a major challenge also because of the complexity and intricacy of the project – says Dominik Kardynał from NDI, construction site manager. – We have already completed part of the excavation support and will soon descend to the foundation slab level. We are also conducting piling works on the slopes. After completing the foundation slab, we will continue installing excavation protection in the part where the server room is being constructed – he adds.

As part of the investment, the area around the building will be beautified, including the creation of a new park. The hill will be planted with new trees, shrubs, lawns, and a flower meadow. There will be benches, bicycle racks, and trash bins, and the relaxation space will be complemented by atmospheric lighting arrangements.

– Designing the recreational space with the park on the hill was an important element of the project – emphasizes architect Zbigniew Reszka. – We positioned it around the terrain stairs, highlighting the main axis of the building.

Construction of the STOS Competence Center supported by the EU

The investment, which will be completed in the first half of 2022, costs PLN 155.7 million, of which PLN 90.1 million is covered by an EU grant under the European Regional Development Fund. The grant was obtained thanks to the involvement of the Marshal's Office of the Pomeranian Voivodeship and Marshal Mieczysław Struk, as well as the Pomerania Development Agency. The remaining amount is almost entirely funded by the university’s own resources generated by the TASK Computing Center at Gdańsk Tech. The investment was also supported by additional funds from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

The total project cost will exceed PLN 200 million – the difference results from the need to supplement the STOS Competence Center with additional specialized equipment (including a supercomputer), which the university will gradually purchase and install in the building in the coming years.