Multicore: The View from Europe

In 2004, the European Commission funded the HiPEAC Network of Excellence to improve research in the fields of computer architecture and compilation in Europe. In response to the paradigm shift to multicore-based computers, the European Commission has also invested in several collaborative research projects that investigate a wide range of topics aimed at advancing the state of the art in multicore computing. Most of these projects are defined in the context of the HiPEAC network, and many are in their final phases or successfully completed. This special issue seeks to provide a representative snapshot of the innovations that have taken place in these projects.