A Long-Awaited Celebration: Supercomputer JUPITER Symbolically Put into Operation

“My team, myself, and JUPITER are celebrating an extraordinary festive day today,”* says JSC Director Thomas Lippert at the beginning of his speech on the occasion of the inauguration of JUPITER. Forschungszentrum Jülich looks different today, and it feels different too: there is a dignified, festive atmosphere in the air, and rightly so. Today, Jülich, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and Europe are celebrating the launch of a “new dimension in computing”*. German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz later summed it up: “You have paved the way for innovations that are now possible thanks to this supercomputer and that, for the most part, we probably cannot even imagine today.”*

A huge marquee, erected in the middle of the expansive FZJ campus, between Seecasino and the Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC), which today is graced with a touch of fame, sets the stage for the festive inauguration of JUPITER, Europe's first exascale supercomputer. Host Johannes Döbbelt guides the audience through the program with a pleasant ease.

In front of around 800 invited guests in Jülich and numerous viewers from all over the world who joined the event online, Europe’s fastest supercomputer and the fourth fastest in the world was symbolically put into operation. As the first of its kind, it will reach 1 exaFLOP/s - that is one billion billions, or one quintillion calculations per second. Chair of the Board of Directors Astrid Lambrecht had emphasized this earlier at the press briefing: “That is a 1 followed by 18 zeros. It is a very large number”*.

It’s a day that many have been waiting for: those who designed the supercomputer, those who built it or provided financial support, and those who use - or will use - it.

My team, myself, and JUPITER are celebrating an extraordinary festive day today

That Thomas Lippert includes JUPITER in the “we” is no coindicence: It is intended to underscore the great significance of Europe’s first exascale computer. JUPITER has already become part of the JSC and the Forschungszentrum Jülich, part of North Rhine-Westphalia and Germany, and part of Europe. And it holds great promise: European language models that can compete with those of the US, global climate forecasts with local precision, personalized models to better understand and treat serious diseases – yes, JUPITER could even “replay” the universe.

We are witnessesing a historic European pioneering project

That JUPITER is a European achievement, a symbolic and at the same time very real demonstration of the strength of European partners, is also powerfully reflected in the presence of the high-ranking political figures and their laudatory speeches. Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz opens with these words: “Exactly 48 years ago to the day, the Voyager 1 space probe was launched from Cape Canaveral in the United States, under the eyes of the world, heading for Jupiter.”* He continues: “It is a technological and scientific breakthrough and the starting signal for new scientific progress. It is a historic pioneering project. It is pure coincidence that we are inaugurating JUPITER in Jülich on this anniversary day. But it is a coincidence with great symbolic power.”* It's a strong opening, as Merz makes it clear: this marks the beginning of a new era. JUPITER places Germany at the forefront of Europe and also in close proximity to US machines. What sets him apart is that he represents the rights and values of Europe – or, as Merz puts it: “Europe stands for a spirit of innovation that is always grounded in the will to truly make things better. And, ideally, not just better for ourselves, but better for humanity as a whole.”* There is a hint of pathos in the air.

JUPITER is a cornerstone of Europe's digital transformation

Following Merz’s speech, big words also came from Brussels. In her video message, Henna Virkkunen, Vice President of the European Commission, emphasized that JUPITER stands as proof of Germany’s long-standing leadership in the field of high-performance computing. At the same time, she announced preparations for AI giga factories and new investments in AI. She described JUPITER as an important cornerstone of digital transformation: “This is not just the inauguration of a supercomputer. It is the beginning of a new era of European excellence in high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and science.”*

Hendrik Wüst, Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia, follows Virkkunen and brings a touch of Rhenish pragmatism to the stage. In his words of thanks to the funding partners, he emphasizes that JUPITER is “a bit much even for a large state like North Rhine-Westphalia”*, clearly referring to the costs involved. In his speech, he emphasizes North Rhine-Westphalia’s consistent path from coal to AI, pointing out that the inauguration of JUPITER also marks a milestone for structural transformation, here, in the Rhineland region. Finally, Wüst picks up on the Chancellor’s train of thought, and his closing words sound like a solemn commitment: “JUPITER will have its home in Jülich, here with us in North Rhine-Westphalia, here with us in Germany, but it is a gain for the whole of Europe.”*

Tailwinds from the USA

JUPITER stands for a commitment to sovereignty and open science

A second video message is sent by Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA. He speaks of a “historic moment,”* saying that the world is experiencing a new industrial revolution. With JUPITER, Europe will have its most advanced AI supercomputer. “JUPITER will help further expand Europe’s leading position.”* In his speech, he expressed his special thanks to “Prof. Lippert and the team in Jülich for their visionary work.”* Their dedication, he says, has helped shape the future of supercomputing.

There are many big words, time to sort through the thoughts. The first panel helps with this, featuring EU Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva, Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär, and NRW Science Minister Ina Brandes discussing the topic of “AI for a strong Europe with JUPITER”. In the second panel that follows later, Dr. Thomas Skordas from the EU Commission, Prof. Bjorn Stevens from the Max Planck Institute, DeepL CEO Dr. Jaroslaw Kutylowski, and Prof. Laurens Kuipers (FZJ Board of Directors) speak on “Science and Innovation through AI”. Both panels make one thing clear: this is about more than just technology – it’s about vision, responsibility, and shaping a shared future.

JUPITER RISING – the moment of the “initial spark”

The big moment of the ceremonial “startup” takes place in the middle of the program – embedded in speeches, video messages, and festive interludes (a preview of the fanfare “JUPITER RISING” by Berlin composer Christian Hagitte). Between the first and second panels, host Döbbelt takes the floor and announces simply that it is now time to “officially inaugurate JUPITER once again”. And here's how it happens: On a day like today, there are no red and white ribbons to cut or the usual groundbreaking ceremony – today, a “buzzer” is pressed that is set to make history. The countdown is running, the tension is rising – the attendees appear suitably excited before they all press the buttons together at “zero”. The fanfare sounds, and on the video screen, JUPITER begins to “come to life”: numbers race across the displays, light floods the MDC (Modular Data Center, which houses the exascale supercomputer), and then it’s official: Jülich has “switched on” JUPITER. A musical crescendo accompanies the moment – light, sound, vision: a new star has born in Europe's research sky.

It is about nothing less than technological sovereignty and competitiveness, about computing power for AI in Germany, about excellent research and about “playing a crucial role in shaping this technological revolution, both as a nation with a long scientific tradition and as an industrial nation,”* as Merz puts it.

Get-together and guided tours in the MDC

After the official program, the event transitions after about 90 minutes into a relaxed get-together. International guests from the worlds of science, politics, and industry take the opportunity to engage in conversations, catch up with old acquaintances and make new connections. The atmosphere inside the marquee and all around is deeply shaped by the shared sense of being part of a unique event. Again and again, small groups form and set off to experience JUPITER up close – to take a personal look at Europe’s giant beacon of hope. It is a successful conclusion to a special celebration that impressively demonstrates how much future is already at home in Jülich today.

What the guests take away

From the many contributions and conversations, it becomes clear: JUPITER stands for much more than technological progress and energy efficiency. What is crucial (especially from a European perspective) is that it is available to researchers whose work contributes to solving global challenges and advancing our understanding of life, the environment, and the universe. At the same time, it is evident that JUPITER is just the beginning. Thanks to its modular design, it will be continously developed – with components such as JARVIS, an inference module that will enable the “JUPITER AI Factory” and create a direct link to industry. The “Cluster” module, which will be added soon, will be specifically designed for training artificial intelligence. And with a potential application for an EU Giga Factory, Jülich is already on the radar for the next expansion stage of European computing infrastructure.

Author: Lisa Maiburg

* The inauguration was held in German. This citation is a translation from the German original.