Cloud Computing
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Towards cloud native services and application design for research

The adoption of cloud technologies is transforming how research software is developed and used. Research IT is shifting towards cloud-native development, where applications are built as scalable microservices and consumed via application programming interfaces (APIs).

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This approach, which includes containerising workflows with tools like Docker and orchestrating them with Kubernetes, is making academic software more robust and reproducible.

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Practices like Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipelines are becoming the standard, thus allowing scientists to share the exact configurations used for different experiments and support reproducibility. This modernisation not only accelerates scientific discovery but also improves the longevity and reusability of research software, aligning it with industry-grade practices.

Maturity

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Emergence of DNA-based data storage to preserve data for a very long time Towards cloud native services and application design for research Exploring biological systems for computing Hardware development acceleration Advances in brain-controlled technologies Rise of the Humanoids Smart regenerative implants in trauma care

Drivers

Impact

education

Education

  • Cloud technologies in research software enhance education by providing students access to robust, reproducible tools that promote collaboration and innovation; however, students can maximise the potential by gaining hands-on skills in DevOps and cloud-native development.
Research

Research

  • The adoption of cloud-native development supporting FAIR software practices profoundly enhances the efficiency and reproducibility of research, enabling scientists to scale experiments and accelerate discoveries and share methodologies more effectively.
Operations

Operations

  • The transition to cloud technologies and microservices in research software enhances cross-disciplinary collaboration and optimises IT service delivery, while also streamlining resource allocation and reducing software deployment time. However, a critical shortage of skills is hampering adoption.
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