CERFACS is a research organization that aims to develop advanced methods for the numerical simulation and the algorithmic solution of large scientific and technological problems of interest for research as well as industry, and that requires access to the most powerful computers presently available.

CERFACS has six shareholders (CNES, the French Space Agency; EADS France, European Aeronautic and Defence Space Company; EDF, Electricité de France; Météo-France, the French meteorological service; ONERA, the French Aerospace Lab; SNECMA, Société Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation).

CERFACS hosts interdisciplinary teams, both for research and advanced training that are comprised of: physicists, applied mathematicians, numerical analysts, and software engineers.

Approximately 100 people work at CERFACS, including about 90 researchers and engineers, coming from 10 differents countries. They work on specific projects in six main research areas: parallel algorithms, aerodynamics, combustion, climate and environment, data assimilation, and electromagnetism.

Part of the research activity of CERFACS is associated with CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, www.cnrs.fr), as an "Unité de Recherche Associée" (SUC, URA 1875). CERFACS participates in the TVE (Terre Vivante et Espace, www.omp.obs-mip.fr/tve pole of laboratories. It is also a member of RTRA/STAE (Réseau Thématique de Recherche Avancée "Sciences et Technologies pour l'Aéronautique et l'Espace", http://www.fondation-stae.net/fr/, see also http://www.cerfacs.fr/RTRA-STAE.mpg) and participates in the activities of AESE (Pôle de Compétitivité "Aéronautique, Espace et Systèmes Embarqués", www.aerospace-valley.com).