That has prompted some universities and academic institutions to launch programs under which they provide companies with access to high-performance systems as well as technical help. One such approach is being tested by the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) in Columbus and the Edison Welding Institute (EWI), a nonprofit organization that does research and consulting work on welding processes and technologies.

Last fall, the EWI, which is based in Columbus, began a beta program that makes a Web-based user interface available to welding engineers at its client firms. The institute's software lets the engineers input a wide range of data related to the joining of various materials. The data is run on a supercomputer at the OSC, and the engineers can view simulations that show how certain welds will work. The program gives companies access to HPC resources via a browser, with no programming required.

The EWI is building modules to address specific industrial needs, but it has no interest in running its own HPC systems. "Our business is welding technology, not operating supercomputers," President and CEO Henry Cialone said, adding that the institute eventually will develop a revenue-sharing program with the OSC.

Cialone said that in his view, U.S. industries are just scratching the surface on the use of HPC-based simulation modeling technologies. "We can enhance the competitiveness of manufacturing in the U.S. with tools like this," he claimed.

The state of Indiana is also trying to help boost HPC use. Last March, and , along with the state government, announced a project to make 20 teraflops of computing capacity on an IBM system available to Indiana businesses. So far, the companies that have taken advantage of the HPC program are primarily in the pharmaceutical and automotive industries, which already know what high-performance systems can deliver to users.