FTorch
Brief description
It is desirable to be able to run machine learning (ML) models directly in Fortran.
ML models are often trained in some other language (say, Python) using a popular frameworks (say, PyTorch) and saved.
We want to run inference on this model without having to call a Python executable.
To achieve this we use the existing Torch C++ interface, LibTorch.
FTorch provides a library enabling a user to directly couple their PyTorch models to Fortran code.
There are also installation instructions for the library and examples of performing coupling.
We support running on both CPU and GPU, and have tested the library on UNIX and Windows based operating systems
News
Some recent updates about FTorch:
- FTorch developers Jack Atkinson and Joe Wallwork
were recently awarded funding from C2D3-Accelerate
for a project entitled Online training of large-scale Fortran-based hybrid
computational science models, with applications in climate science. This
grant will support development for online training functionality for FTorch,
as well as research visits, FTorch training tutorials, and organisation of a
workshop on hybrid modelling.
- FTorch developer Jack Atkinson will be presenting FTorch in a SciML seminar at
CEMAC in Leeds on 18th July 2025.
FTorch training
We offer training on FTorch in the form of tutorials and workshops. The
companion repository
https://github.com/Cambridge-ICCS/FTorch-workshop
provides a set of exercises and solutions to help users get started with FTorch.
Details of upcoming in-person training events are as follows:
Publications and Select Presentations
FTorch is published in JOSS. To cite it in your work please refer to:
Atkinson et al., (2025). FTorch: a library for coupling PyTorch models to Fortran.
Journal of Open Source Software, 10(107), 7602, https://doi.org/10.21105/joss.07602
The following presentations contain information about FTorch:
- Facilitating machine learning in Fortran using FTorch
Seminars at the University of Reading
Data Assimilation Research Centre
and ECMWF, Reading -
May 2025
Slides
- FTorch: Enabling Online Training for Large-Scale Fortran Models
CCfCS Polar Symposium 2025,
British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge - May 2025
Poster
- Coupling Machine Learning to Numerical (Climate) Models
Platform for Advanced Scientific Computing, Zurich - June 2024
Slides
- Blending Machine Learning and Numerical Simulation, with Applications to Climate Modelling
Durham HPC days, Durham - May 2024
Slides
- Reducing the overheads for coupling PyTorch machine learning models to Fortran
ML & DL Seminars, LSCE, IPSL, Paris - November 2023
Slides - Recording
See the presentations page for a full list of
presentations on FTorch.
License
The FTorch source code, related files and documentation are
distributed under an MIT License which can be viewed here.
Projects using FTorch
The following projects make use of FTorch.
If you use our library in your work please let us know.
- DataWave CAM-GW -
Using FTorch to couple neural net parameterisations of gravity waves to the CAM
atmospheric model.
- MiMA Machine Learning -
Implementing a neural net parameterisation of gravity waves in the MiMA atmospheric model.
Demonstrates that nets trained near-identically offline can display greatly varied behaviours when coupled online.
See Mansfield and Sheshadri (2024) - DOI: 10.1029/2024MS004292
- Convection parameterisations in ICON -
Implementing machine-learnt convection parameterisations in the ICON atmospheric model
showing that best online performance occurs when causal relations are eliminated from the net.
See Heuer et al (2024) - DOI: 10.1029/2024MS004398
- In the GloSea6 Seasonal Forecasting Model -
Replacing a BiCGStab bottleneck in the code with a deep learning approach to speed up execution without compromising model accuracy.
See Park and Chung (2025) - DOI: 10.3390/atmos16010060
Developer Info
ICCS Cambridge