Advancing Earth system science with innovative AI – WeatherGenerator Project launched

The Jülich Supercomputing Centre is part of a newly formed consortium aiming to create a cutting-edge European foundation model for Earth Science – with the help of state-of-the-art AI and machine learning.

On February 5 2025 the WeatherGenerator project officially launched with a virtual kickoff meeting. The project will be carried out by 16 leading European institutions, including universitites, research centres, meteorological institutes, and energy organisations. The project is coordinated by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).

The primary goals of WeatherGenerator are to significantly enhance weather and climate predictions, optimize renewable energy planning, and provide better tools for mitigating the effects of extreme weather events, such as floods and heatwaves. By combining advanced machine learning techniques with high-performance computing – also exploiting the new exascale computing capacity of JUPITER --, the project will offer innovative solutions for both scientific research and real-world applications, benefiting sectors like renewable energy, disaster management, and public health.

Key Objectives of the Project:

• Develop a state-of-the-art AI model for simulating Earth system dynamics.
• Enhance predictions for weather and climate events across various timescales.
• Deepen our understanding of Earth system dynamics, enabling better insights into climate processes and interactions.
• Support disaster response efforts with more accurate predictions for extreme events like floods, heatwaves, and storms.
• Provide open-source tools and data, promoting transparency and collaboration in climate research.
• Train the next generation of AI experts specialized in Earth sciences to ensure the long-term impact of the project.

For updates and more information visit https://weathergenerator.eu/.

Contact at JSC: Martin Schultz

The project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe program. The WeatherGenerator project (grant agreement No101187947) is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.