EIT Digital

Cloud, Networking Infrastructures and HPC

Cloud, Networking Infrastructures and High Performance Computing

Cloud computing and High Performance Computing (HPC) are revolutionising the digital landscape, enabling unparalleled connectivity, scalability, and computational power to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. This is exactly what you will learn in our programme.

When our networks became overwhelmed with connected devices and streaming services, cloud computing saved the day. Now, the so-called ‘cloudification’ of networks, combined with High Performance Computing (HPC), is set to unleash a new era of smart connectivity – enabling everything from Industry 4.0 applications to autonomous vehicles, augmented reality, and urban infrastructure. HPC pushes the boundaries of traditional computing, tackling complexity and solving problems that would otherwise remain unsolvable, while massively parallel computing and quantum technologies accelerate innovation.

With our Cloud and Networking Infrastructures and HPC programme, you will develop the skills needed to compete for high-paying jobs in this cutting-edge field. Whether leading the ‘cloudification’ process or harnessing the power of HPC to address challenges, you will gain the confidence and expertise to make an impact from day one.

The programme is supported by additional funding through the European Union‘s Digital Europe Programme Project ACHIEVE (101190015) which grants scholarships and financial support to top-ranked students.

First-year program at POLIMI (*new 2025/26*)

Starting from September 2025, Politecnico di Milano offers the first year for the EIT Digital Major in Cloud, Networking Infrastructures and HPC, a new double degree in the framework of the Laurea Magistrale in HPC Engineering.

The first year provides 60 ECTS, integrating a set of technical courses (36 ECTS) with the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Minor (20 ECTS) and a thematic I&E Summer School (4 ECTS).

The I&E Minor will be increasingly offered in a blended format, with online modules and innovative teaching methods leveraging a distributed learning environment in which students have the chance to collaborate on a project together with other EIT Digital students from different partner universities (blended I&E Education and cross-university activities).

The following table summarizes the study plan for the first year. Please notice that, on the basis of the curriculum of previous studies, the Admission Committee at Politecnico can specify some little directions on the individual study plans.

First SemesterECTSSecond Semester
Technical Major - mandatory courses (21 ECTS)
Parallel Computing5
Numerical Linear Algebra5
5Quantum Computing
6Computing Infrastructures
Technical Major - Math elective (5 ECTS - make 1 choices)
Advanced Methods for Scientific Computing5
Numerical Methods for PDEs5
Foundations of Operations Research5
5Applied Statistics
Technical Major - ICT elective (5 ECTS - make 1 choices)
Distributed Systems5
Networked Software for Distributed Systems5
Performance Evaluation and Applications5
5Advanced Computer Architectures
5Quantum Communication
5Network Computing
I&E Minor (24 ECTS)
High Tech Entrepreneurship: creating and scaling up5
10Digital Business Lab
5Software Engineering for HPC
4I&E Summer School (*)

(*) The Summer School takes place between the first and second year, being computed among the 60 ECTS of the first year. It brings students together for two weeks to work in groups on a business modelling and planning project in the context of a societally relevant thematic area. Summer Schools take place at different locations throughout Europe, supporting a multidisciplinary and international dimension, with a clear EIT Digital flavour to education. You can choose the one you like to attend from the catalogue of Summer Schools organised by EIT Digital and published at the beginning of the first semester.

Detailed descriptions for each Polimi course on our Manifesto degli Studi

Second year

During the second year, students have the option to specialise in one of the technical areas that are offered by their respective Exit Universities, providing 30 ECTS of exams + 30 ECTS for the Thesis. Please, refer to their local programs for the second year study plans, you can find them on the EIT Digital Master School webpage for Cloud, Networking Infrastructures and HPC.

Contacts

Gianluca Palermo
ACHIEVE Coordinator at Polimi
Federico Schiepatti
EIT Digital Programme Manager at Polimi
For info: federico.schiepatti@polimi.it

The major in Cloud, Networking Infrastructures and HPC at Polimi is implemented as a specific track of the Laurea Magistrale in High Performance Computing Engineering (MSc). This double degree path is best suited for applicants coming from ICT-related bachelor studies.