In the ODISSEI Secure Supercomputer (OSSC), researchers can perform analyses of highly-sensitive data – such as CBS Microdata – in SURF’s high performance computing environment Snellius. The ODISSEI Secure Supercomputer (OSSC) consists of an enclave of Statistics Netherlands within the domain of SURF. This virtual IT environment offers a high performance computing environment that meets the requirements of Statistics Netherlands in legal, technical and security requirements.

Using OSSC

The ODISSEI Secure Supercomputer is available for use by researchers affiliated with one of the ODISSEI member organisations. The terms of use for other researchers are currently being established.

If you have questions about using the OSSC, please contact ODISSEI’s scientific manager, Kasia Karpinska.

Researchers interested in using this facility can express their interest by filling in the form. Our team will contact interested parties to discuss the possibilities.

Projects using OSSC

In June 2018, Statistics Netherlands and SURFsara completed a successful Proof of Concept (PoC) of the ODISSEI Secure Supercomputer. The Proof of Concept investigated whether safe links between CBS microdata and the very large genetic dataset of the Dutch Twin Register (NTR), which is stored at SURF, were possible within OSSC. This linkage has been successfully established.

The PoC was then followed up by a pilot consisting of three research projects, that were carried out by TU Delft (with CBS data and a GIS component in particular), CBS (complexity in social networks based on CBS data) and VU University’s Twin Register(linking genetics to register data, using DNA profiles already included in SURF). These projects demonstrated the extraordinary possibilities of the OSSC.