Japan is embarking on a significant advancement in high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) with the development of FugakuNEXT, the successor to the renowned Fugaku supercomputer. This next-generation system, a collaborative effort between RIKEN and Fujitsu, now includes NVIDIA as a key partner. FugakuNEXT is designed as a hybrid AI-HPC system, integrating simulation and AI workloads to achieve unprecedented computational capabilities.
The system will utilize Fujitsu's FUJITSU-MONAKA-X processors, featuring an ultra-many-core architecture, complemented by NVIDIA's GPU accelerators connected via NVLink Fusion. This architecture is engineered to maximize efficiency across a wide range of tasks. The project targets a performance increase of up to a hundredfold compared to its predecessor, with projections of reaching approximately 600 exaFLOPS in FP8 precision, potentially making it the world's first zetta-scale supercomputer. Significant emphasis is also placed on software and algorithmic innovations to enhance application performance.
With a development budget exceeding $740 million, FugakuNEXT underscores Japan's commitment to technological leadership. The original Fugaku supercomputer, operational since 2020, played a vital role during the COVID-19 pandemic by assisting in virus dispersal simulations and drug candidate identification. FugakuNEXT builds upon this legacy, aligning with Japan's "AI for Science" initiative to accelerate breakthroughs by merging machine learning with traditional scientific methods.
The applications for FugakuNEXT are expected to be diverse, spanning climate modeling, drug discovery, advanced materials science, and disaster resilience. The project also aims to foster a global ecosystem by providing access to software, AI models, and applications through cloud environments, even before the system's full operation, which is anticipated around 2030. This collaborative approach, integrating Japanese and international technological expertise, positions FugakuNEXT as a pivotal platform for addressing complex societal challenges and driving future scientific exploration.