ALBAWABA - In a groundbreaking move, the European Union is fast-tracking the development of a supercomputer project named JUPITER, with the goal of providing unparalleled computing power for scientific research and development. This collaborative effort between the EU and major technology firms aims to position Europe as a global leader in high-performance computing.
Scheduled to go live in early 2024, JUPITER is designed to execute a staggering 1 exaflop of processing power, translating to a capability of handling one quintillion calculations per second—surpassing current supercomputers by a millionfold.
JUPITER's computational prowess, managed by the Jülich Supercomputing Centre and developed in partnership with ParTec, Eviden, SiPearl, and Nvidia, promises to unlock new possibilities in simulations and calculations previously deemed unattainable.
The project integrates Nvidia GPUs and SiPearl Rhea processors at the exascale level, making it a frontrunner in artificial intelligence research. These components will be seamlessly incorporated into Eviden's BullSequana platform, known for its energy-efficient technology.
The Jülich Supercomputing Centre Director highlights JUPITER's potential to operate at over 90 exaflops in artificial intelligence applications, utilizing nearly 24,000 GPUs, potentially making it the world's fastest artificial intelligence supercomputer.
Beyond its technological implications, JUPITER's computing capabilities are poised to accelerate research in critical fields such as climate change, drug discovery, and quantum physics.
This ambitious endeavor comes at a significant cost, with an estimated 500 million euros required to operate JUPITER over three years, in addition to an annual electricity expense of 100 million euros. The completion of the supercomputer is anticipated later this year.
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