High-Performance Computing

Emerging Technologies

What do artificial intelligence, drug research and climate modelling have in common? High-performance supercomputers make their development possible. The BMBF funds HPC research.

Opportunities

High-performance computing (HPC) systems, or supercomputers, are able to process huge amounts of data and analyse complex processes.
The AI optimized expansion of BMBF-funded HPC machines enables, for example, the training of large generative AI models.
HPC makes excellent science possible and is a pivotal element in ensuring technological sovereignty. Supercomputers in Germany and Europe safeguard the independence of non European computers in sensitive research and development sectors.
HPC contributes towards climate research, astrophysics, the analysis of newly emerging viruses or the deployment and development of AI as well as the optimization of production processes or wind turbine site selection.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is expanding Germany’s computing power with its funding programme “High-performance computing for the digital age – Research and investment in HPC”. The aim is to ensure that the German HPC ecosystem meets the computing power demands of science and industry research in the digital age also in future.

Germany wants to be able to offer the best and most advanced computing technology. The aim is to ensure that computers and computing centres are not only high-performing, but also energy-efficient and ecologically sustainable.

High-performance computing separated into three tiers

Science and industry in Germany can draw on a broad national network of powerful HPC machines to conduct their research and development. Since the required computing power varies according to the research task at hand, HPC facilities are categorized into three tiers – depending on the capacity of the system and the complexity of the application.

The Gauss Centre for Supercomputing (GCS) combines the three most powerful tier 1 HPC centres in Germany. These supercomputing centres are funded by the BMBF and the three host Länder.

Tier 2 encompasses twelve well-established, supraregional HPC centres with high-performance computers at research establishments and universities. Together with the Länder, the BMBF funds the National High Performance Computing (NHR) Alliance that combines and coordinates nine HPC centres at German universities.

Tier 3 comprises regional computers that provide computing capacities locally for a large number of applications that require less computing power. These HPC machines are mostly based at and operated by universities or research institutions.

The Gauß-Allianz brings together the three tier 1 HPC facilities, the 16 centres in tier 2 and 3, and the German National Research and Education Network under one roof.

The BMBF’s Action Plan on AI Computing Infrastructure is aimed at further enhancing AI computing infrastructures and developing supporting service structures.

A European HPC ecosystem

Germany cooperates closely with its European partners on high-performance computing. The European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) was established in 2018 to institutionalize the partnership between the European Commission, the partner countries involved, and three industry associations. The aim of the EuroHPC JU is to develop a pan-European HPC ecosystem. All of this makes an important contribution to Germany’s and the EU’s digital and technological sovereignty.

Quiz about High-Performance computing

Quiz

QuestionQuestion: 1von 5

High-performance computing is only for big companies.

Germany’s fastest supercomputer

2 million notebooks would be required to equal the computing power of Germany’s fastest supercomputer.

2 million notebooks

Editorial deadline for this text: 01.11.2024