ARIM-mdx Data System: A New Data Platform Revolutionizing Materials Research with 900+ Active Users in Japan

13 Dec. 2024

A research group from the Information Technology Center and Graduate School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Hiroshima University, RIKEN, and the Institute of Statistical Mathematics has developed ARIM-mdx Data System, a pioneering large-scale data platform that enables materials science researchers nationwide to seamlessly integrate data from large experimental facilities and supercomputers. Since its launch, the system has been utilized by over 900 researchers from more than 140 academic institutions and companies across Japan. Built on top of the “mdx: A Cloud Platform for Supporting Data Science and Cross-Disciplinary Research Collaborations”, the system features automated data transfer through IoT devices and high-speed connections to major supercomputers via the SINET6 academic network, significantly improving research efficiency. The platform facilitates data-driven materials research, AI and machine learning-based materials exploration, and establishes new research methodologies through tight integration of experimental and theoretical approaches.

The system has already demonstrated success by connecting over 40 shared experimental facilities and enabling large-volume data transfer from nine major supercomputers in Japan. This nationwide infrastructure is expected to accelerate digital transformation in materials research by promoting data-driven approaches and strengthening collaboration across different research domains.

This work will be presented at IEEE BigData 2024 in Washington DC.