Institute
Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC)
JSC operates the most powerful supercomputers in Europe. More information on JSC’s webpage.
Giga, tera, peta – every ten years or so, the performance of the world’s fastest computers increases a thousandfold. JUPITER is the first European exascale computer to be put into operation and it is located at Forschungszentrum Jülich. The term “exascale” marks a new dimension in computing power, surpassing one quintillion floating-point operations per second – that’s a “1” with 18 zeros. Supercomputers of this performance class represent a major technological breakthrough and are essential for addressing the complex challenges of our time.
Why do we need exascale computers?
Climate change, pandemics, a sustainable energy supply – these issues cannot be solved with simple models and small volumes of data. Exascale computers like JUPITER make it possible to analyse huge datasets, perform highly complex simulations, and take state-of-the-art artificial intelligence methods to a whole new level.
For example, they help to:
- Model the climate more accurately
- Develop drugs faster
- Discover new materials for the energy transition
- Design safe, efficient power grids
FAQs on exascale supercomputers
What is an exascale supercomputer? How is supercomputer performance measured? How is supercomputer performance compared? How is the energy efficiency of supercomputers measured? Answers to the most frequently asked questions on the topic of exascale can be found on the FAQs page.
JUPITER – Supercomputer of the future
JUPITER, the first exascale supercomputer in Europe, is being built at Forschungszentrum Jülich. The system is being procured and installed as part of the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU).
As a research infrastructure, JUPITER will help to solve fundamental and urgent scientific questions, such as those surrounding climate change, pandemic management, and sustainable energy production. It will enable the intensive use of artificial intelligence and the analysis of large data volumes.
JUPITER: Europe’s first exascale supercomputer
With the “Joint Undertaking Pioneer for Innovative and Transformative Exascale Research”, or JUPITER for short, Forschungszentrum Jülich will be home to Europe’s first exascale computer. JUPITER’s Booster module, supplied by Eviden, will ultimately have around 24,000 NVIDIA GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips, which are optimized for highly parallel applications – such as AI training AI or numerically demanding simulations.
Jülich: home to a strong tradition in supercomputing
It is no coincidence that JUPITER is being built at Jülich. The Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC) is one of Europe’s leading supercomputer centres. It has been operating high-performance supercomputers for decades. Its experts develop systems, software, and technologies for high-performance computing that make supercomputers faster, more efficient, and more powerful.
The development of exascale systems poses significant technical challenges. Requirements include:
- New architectures with millions of processor cores
- Advanced storage and network technologies
- Strategies for reducing energy consumption while maintaining high system reliability
Jülich supercomputers: the path to exascale
Research infrastructure for the science of tomorrow
Exascale systems help researchers to gain socially relevant insights faster, more accurately, and on a larger scale. With JUPITER, an infrastructure is being established in Jülich that ranks among the world’s leading exascale systems. The supercomputer will play a vital role in the European scientific landscape and become a cornerstone of Europe’s digital sovereignty.
Further Information
Last Modified: 08.07.2025