Welcome to Space West Spotlight, a series celebrating the people, research and businesses that make up the Space West community.
Through this series we'll profile the individuals driving innovation, the pioneering research shaping the future and the local businesses powering growth across our region.
This edition, we're shining the spotlight on The Centre for Modelling and Simulation (CFMS), a digital engineering and innovation organisation that uses modelling, simulation and high-performance computing to help industry tackle complex technical challenges. Working across aerospace, space, defence and other high-value sectors, CFMS enable faster, lower-risk product development and operational decision-making.
About the Business
What does your organisation do and who do you support?
CFMS are an industry focused research and technology (RTO) solving hypercomplex problems for industry supported by cutting edge research, thought leadership and skills development. CFMS works with organisations to create digital versions of products, systems, factories and operations so they can be tested and optimised before spending time and money on physical trials.
What makes your organisation different?
Our state-of-the-art, unique in-house high-performance computing (HPC) and digital modelling expertise working at whole system and transformation scale. We both develop as well as use cutting-edge tools, and design and operate our own on-site, industrially secure HPC tailored for hypercomplex challenges.
Expertise and Offer
What are your core products and specialisms?
CFMS's core specialities are HPC-Enabled Modelling and Simulation, HPC-Enabled Robotics and Autonomous Systems, and Engineering Compute Services (using HPC design and operation).
The capabilities are applied in tailored ways for different industries, supporting organisations with their specific needs rather than a one-size fits all approach.
Which sectors do you operate in?
Our work spans across many sectors, drawing on our expertise to solve a range of challenges. The core sectors much of work supports are aerospace, space, construction, manufacturing, energy, and transport.
CFMS capabilities in a space context help to derisk missions and achieve objectives. Some of our use cases include a collaborative space data centre, simulation for robotics in different environments, and planetary scale mapping.
Growth and Innovation
What innovations, technologies or approaches are central to your work?
Our strategic digital infrastructure - our HPC and data centre is unique in the compute ecosystem in terms of design, offering highly agile operation and optimised for mixed modelling loads including CPU, GPU, and Edge.
Our state-of-the-art whole system modelling tools which incorporate both physics based and data driven AI based techniques are also key to our capabilities.
Regional Connection
Why is being part of the region important to your business?
The West of England is underpinned by major engineering businesses, deep expertise, and a state-of-the-art research base driving new disruptive approaches to prediction including AI, Robotics and Quantum.
How can others get involved or work with you and what kind of collaborations are you looking for?
We are always open to helping industry with their hypercomplex problems which are often critical to transformation. We offer core facilities such as the Collaborative Space Data Centre (COSDAC) and our Large AI Robotic Simulator (LARS Sim) which are available.
We frequently collaborate with physical testbeds or sandpit providers, we also keen to extend our work in people development with both industry and academia.