Germany has officially inaugurated JUPITER, Europe's most powerful supercomputer, at the Jülich Research Centre near Aachen on September 5, 2025. This exascale machine, capable of performing over a quintillion floating-point operations per second, is set to significantly advance artificial intelligence and scientific simulations, particularly in crucial fields like climate research and medical development.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by prominent figures including German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz and North Rhine-Westphalia Minister-President Hendrik Wüst. Chancellor Merz emphasized JUPITER's role in demonstrating Germany's commitment to technological leadership, stating that technological sovereignty and robust computing capabilities are essential for national security and economic competitiveness. He highlighted that strengthening Germany as a technology hub is a key priority for the federal government, with JUPITER establishing new benchmarks in the research, development, and application of future technologies.
JUPITER, developed by the Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC) with funding from the EuroHPC JU initiative, represents a substantial investment in Europe's high-performance computing infrastructure. The supercomputer's processing power is equivalent to approximately 10 million standard laptops. Notably, JUPITER boasts remarkable energy efficiency, achieving over 60 billion floating-point operations per watt, further enhanced by its hot water cooling system that allows for the reuse of residual heat to warm the Jülich campus, aligning with sustainability objectives.
The capabilities of JUPITER are expected to drive significant advancements across various scientific disciplines. In climate research, it will enable more accurate predictions of extreme weather events through kilometer-scale resolution simulations, aiding in the development of effective climate change mitigation strategies. Furthermore, JUPITER will accelerate the development of new medical therapies and support complex fields such as biotechnology and neuroscience, including brain mapping and drug discovery.
The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, a collaboration between the EU, European countries, and private partners, is instrumental in advancing Europe's supercomputing capabilities. JUPITER is a flagship project within this initiative, aiming to bolster Europe's position as a global leader in high-performance computing and AI. The supercomputer's architecture, powered by NVIDIA Grace Hopper Superchips and Quantum-2 InfiniBand, integrates high-performance computing and AI onto a single platform to accelerate breakthroughs.
Minister-President Hendrik Wüst underscored the transformative impact of artificial intelligence, noting North Rhine-Westphalia's leadership in the transition from its mining heritage to becoming a European AI hub, with JUPITER serving as a key catalyst. The project's success also highlights the collaborative spirit between Germany and Europe in pushing technological innovation and addressing global challenges.