Located in Jülich, North Rhine-Westphalia, the Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC) stands as a key player in Europe’s scientific computing arena. From its origins as a national computational science hub in the 1980s, JSC has evolved into a global leader in high-performance computing (HPC), artificial intelligence (AI), and emerging quantum technologies. With a strong emphasis on innovation, collaboration with academia and industry, and a dedication to advancing digital sovereignty in Europe, JSC is shaping the future of HPC-enabled scientific exploration.
Driving the Future of European HPC
JSC’s journey began with an early embrace of large-scale computing for scientific research, establishing Germany as a pioneer in computational science. Through strategic partnerships with European institutions and industries, JSC has fostered an ecosystem that caters to a wide range of research areas, from climate science and materials modeling to energy systems and life sciences.
One of the hallmarks of JSC’s approach has been its ability to anticipate and adapt to the changing landscape of computational science. By designing systems that support massive parallelism and cutting-edge hardware, JSC paved the way for large-scale machine learning research and data-intensive simulations long before AI became a buzzword in technology circles.
JUWELS: A Modular Supercomputing Breakthrough
An important milestone in JSC’s evolution was the development of the JUWELS supercomputer. Designed as a modular HPC platform, JUWELS set new standards in performance, flexibility, and efficiency, establishing itself as a leading HPC system in Europe. With its innovative Booster module combining GPU accelerators with traditional CPU resources, JUWELS enabled highly scalable simulations in fields like climate research, molecular dynamics, and particle physics. This integration of AI workflows positioned JUWELS as a pioneer in bridging classical HPC with the demands of AI-driven computation.
JUPITER: Pioneering Exascale Computing in Europe
Central to JSC’s current strategy is JUPITER, Europe’s first exascale supercomputer, redefining scientific computing on the continent. Commissioned in 2024 and officially launched in 2025, JUPITER boasts over 1 ExaFLOP/s of sustained performance, making it not only the fastest supercomputer in Europe but also one of the most energy-efficient in its class. With a heterogeneous architecture featuring superchips integrating CPU cores and GPU accelerators, JUPITER offers versatility across a wide range of workloads, from traditional simulations to cutting-edge AI research.
“With JUPITER, we have achieved a significant milestone in computing history,” remarked Professor Dr Dr Thomas Lippert, Director of the Jülich Supercomputing Centre. “But what truly matters is the new era it ushers in, where HPC becomes a dynamic platform for scientific and AI innovation, empowering researchers to tackle challenges previously deemed insurmountable.”
JUPITER’s blend of power, scalability, and adaptability positions it as a key catalyst for next-generation scientific exploration, driving progress in fields like climate modeling, materials design, and biomedical research.
The JUPITER AI Factory: Democratizing Exascale Capabilities
One of JSC’s strategic initiatives is the JUPITER AI Factory (JAIF), a collaborative platform leveraging JUPITER’s exascale capabilities to facilitate widespread access. Through JAIF, universities, research institutions, startups, SMEs, and industry partners can develop, scale, and deploy AI applications, fostering an inclusive environment for innovation.
Continuing its tradition of open and collaborative HPC, JSC’s JAIF enables users to experiment with large AI models, conduct data-intensive analytics, and seamlessly integrate exascale computing into their research and industrial workflows. By offering training and community support, JAIF nurtures a vibrant ecosystem that connects scientific discovery with practical applications, bolstering Europe’s competitiveness in AI and data-driven research.
Quantum Computing at JSC: Advancing with JUNIQ and Hybrid Approaches
While HPC remains at the core of JSC’s mission, the center is actively expanding into quantum technologies. At the forefront of this endeavor is JUNIQ, a multi-platform quantum computing infrastructure that provides users with diverse hardware, software tools, and support for quantum exploration in science and industry.
In late 2024, JSC welcomed a 100-qubit quantum computer from Pasqal, now known as JADE, into its quantum portfolio, marking a significant milestone for JUNIQ and hybrid classical-quantum computing. This system, inaugurated in 2025, enhances JSC’s capabilities in exploring hybrid HPC-quantum applications that could accelerate problem-solving in areas like optimization and materials discovery.
“Quantum computing at JSC isn’t a separate track,” explained Professor Dr Kristel Michielsen, Director of JSC and Head of JUNIQ. “We’re exploring how it complements HPC. JUNIQ and systems like JADE enable us to experiment with hybrid approaches that have the potential to revolutionize scientific discovery and create new computational pathways.”
By integrating quantum systems alongside exascale infrastructure, JSC offers researchers a spectrum of computing paradigms – classical, AI-enhanced, and quantum – within a unified platform.
Collaboration and Achievements on a Global Scale
Beyond its own systems, JSC plays a vital role in European and international consortia, including the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU), ensuring access to top-tier resources for German and European researchers. Through these collaborations, JSC contributes expertise in scalable software frameworks, HPC architectures, and interdisciplinary research, shaping the future of computational science worldwide.
Integrating HPC, AI, and Quantum for Grand Challenges
As computational science progresses, JSC’s vision remains ambitious and forward-thinking. By seamlessly merging HPC, AI, and quantum technologies, JSC aims to create an infrastructure ecosystem capable of addressing grand challenges across various domains, from climate change and sustainable energy to advanced materials and public health.
JSC’s vision extends beyond standalone systems to interconnected computational ecosystems, incorporating hybrid HPC-quantum workflows, collaborative platforms like the JUPITER AI Factory, and a cross-sector community that transcends boundaries and disciplines. With exascale computing at its core, exemplified by Europe’s pioneering JUPITER supercomputer, JSC is propelling scientific exploration at scale, accelerating innovation, and charting new territories in computational discovery. By promoting initiatives that bridge quantum resources and classical supercomputing, researchers can explore hybrid approaches to tackle complex problems and expand the horizons of computational science, aligning with JSC’s original mission.
Please note, this article will also appear in the 25th edition of our quarterly publication.
