# CSCS completes Alps' shift to a cloud-style research platform; Apertus 1.5 served since July

Canonical page: https://technooptimist.io/stories/cscs-completes-alps-shift-to-a-cloud-style-research-platform-apertus-1-fd8dd487
Date: 20 Sep 2026
About: [Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS)](https://technooptimist.io/companies/cscs.md) · [Alps](https://technooptimist.io/computing/alps.md)
Original source: https://www.netzwoche.ch/news/2026-09-20/mehr-als-ein-supercomputer

CSCS says Alps now runs as an integrated stack of hardware, software and services rather than a fixed mainframe. Since July 2026 researchers can use Apertus 1.5 through a CSCS service that provisions Alps compute automatically.

## Key facts

- vClusters split Alps into partitions for ETH, MeteoSwiss and other users.
- ETH's Sailor platform automates AI training to use the hardware efficiently.
- CSCS plans to let researchers reach compute at supercomputing centres abroad.

---

The Techno Optimist tracks every frontier of technology, program by program: https://technooptimist.io/ (a Markdown version of any page: add .md to its URL; site map for agents: https://technooptimist.io/llms.txt).
Data API (JSON, realtime stream): https://technooptimist.io/developers. People read 5 pages free, then Reader $10/month; these Markdown pages are open to agents.