Universities and research organisations are under increasing pressure to accelerate innovation, support data-intensive projects, and deliver world-class research outcomes. From AI and machine learning to genomics, climate modelling and advanced engineering, today’s research workloads require more computing power, storage and agility than ever before.
Yet many institutions are trying to meet these demands using IT infrastructure that was never designed for modern research. The result is a growing gap between research ambitions and technological capability.
Fortunately, a more effective approach exists. By combining 101 Data Solutions’ expertise with Liqid’s composable infrastructure capabilities, universities and research organisations can build a future-ready platform that scales with evolving research needs while controlling costs.
The Challenges Facing Research IT Teams
1. Growing Demand for Compute Resources
Artificial intelligence and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads continue to expand across academic disciplines. Researchers require access to powerful GPUs, high-speed storage, and flexible computing environments to support increasingly complex projects.
However, many institutions face:
- Long wait times for compute resources
- Oversubscribed GPU clusters
- Limited budget for infrastructure expansion
- Difficulty accommodating changing research priorities
Traditional infrastructure often forces organisations to purchase dedicated hardware that may sit underutilised when projects end.
2. Infrastructure Silos Create Inefficiency
Over time, research institutions frequently develop isolated infrastructure environments for specific departments, faculties, or projects.
This can create:
- Resource duplication
- Underutilised hardware
- Complex management requirements
- Higher operational costs
When GPU resources are tied to specific workloads or departments, valuable computing power may remain idle while other research teams struggle to access the infrastructure they need.
3. Budget Pressures Continue to Increase
Public funding constraints, rising energy costs, and growing demands for digital transformation mean IT leaders must achieve more with limited budgets.
Research organisations need infrastructure investments that:
- Maximise utilisation
- Extend hardware lifecycle
- Support multiple projects simultaneously
- Deliver measurable return on investment
Simply purchasing more servers or GPUs is rarely the most cost-effective solution.
4. Supporting Diverse Research Workloads
Today’s research landscape is incredibly diverse. Institutions may simultaneously support:
- AI and machine learning projects
- Data analytics initiatives
- Simulation and modelling environments
- Life sciences research
- Engineering applications
- Virtual research environments
Each workload has unique performance requirements, making it difficult for traditional fixed infrastructure architectures to deliver optimal resource allocation.
Why Traditional Infrastructure Approaches Fall Short
For many organisations, the answer to growing demand has traditionally been straightforward: buy more hardware.
But adding more GPUs, servers or storage systems often introduces additional complexity and cost without addressing the underlying challenge of resource utilisation.
The reality is that many institutions already have significant computing resources available. The challenge lies in how those resources are allocated, managed, and shared across competing projects and departments.
This is where a composable infrastructure strategy can transform research operations.
How 101 Data Solutions and Liqid Address These Challenges
Unlocking the Full Value of Existing Infrastructure
Liqid’s composable infrastructure platform enables organisations to disaggregate compute, GPU, storage, and networking resources and dynamically assemble them into right-sized environments for specific workloads.
Rather than dedicating hardware to individual systems, resources can be pooled and allocated precisely where they are needed.
This enables institutions to:
- Increase utilisation of existing assets
- Reduce idle GPU capacity
- Support more researchers with the same infrastructure
- Respond quickly to changing project requirements
Accelerating AI and Research Innovation
AI projects often require significant bursts of GPU power but not necessarily permanent GPU ownership.
With Liqid’s software-defined approach, research teams can access the resources they need when they need them, creating greater flexibility and reducing bottlenecks.
Researchers benefit from:
- Faster project start-up times
- Improved resource availability
- Reduced waiting periods
- Greater experimentation capabilities
Future-Proofing Research Infrastructure
Research priorities evolve rapidly. Today’s infrastructure decisions must support tomorrow’s requirements.
The combination of 101 Data Solutions’ expertise and Liqid’s flexible architecture allows institutions to scale and adapt without costly infrastructure overhauls.
Benefits include:
- Scalable growth strategies
- Flexible resource allocation
- Improved operational efficiency
- Simplified infrastructure management
Delivering Better Value from Research Budgets
Perhaps most importantly, composable infrastructure helps organisations achieve more from their existing investments.
Rather than continually investing in additional hardware to solve capacity challenges, institutions can optimise utilisation and maximise return on investment across their infrastructure estate.
This allows IT leaders to support growing research demands while maintaining financial responsibility.
Building the Foundation for Next-Generation Research
As AI, advanced analytics and data-intensive research continue to expand, universities and research organisations need infrastructure strategies that balance performance, flexibility and cost efficiency.
The organisations that succeed will not necessarily be those with the largest GPU estates. Instead, they will be the institutions that can intelligently orchestrate and optimise their resources to support researchers at scale.
By partnering with 101 Data Solutions and leveraging Liqid’s composable infrastructure platform, research organisations can create a more agile, efficient and future-ready research environment.