Thought Leadership
The new computer is expected to cost around a quarter of a billion. But it will outperform the Leibniz Supercomputing Center’s current top dog by a factor of 30 in terms of computing power – and serve as a heater.
Bavaria is getting a new supercomputer for a quarter of a billion euros. The Leibniz Supercomputing Center (LRZ) of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences has awarded the corresponding contract to Hewlett Packard Enterprise, as announced. The computer is due to go into operation in 2027 and will be used for cutting-edge research in astrophysics and other fields, keeping Bavaria competitive in this respect. The costs of a quarter of a billion euros – including operation until 2032 – will be borne equally by Bavaria and the federal government.
The computer, dubbed “Blue Lion”, will achieve around 30 times the computing power of its predecessor SuperMUC-NG. In addition to astrophysics, its performance will also be used for other areas of research, including particle and quantum physics, fluid mechanics as well as natural, life and cultural sciences. The computer will combine classical high-performance computing methods with AI methods.
The new computer is completely liquid cooled. According to the LRZ, this makes the computer quieter and its waste heat more usable. It may also be possible to heat nearby institutes in the future.
dpa
