LUMI is the first pre-exascale supercomputer of the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and is now Europe’s most powerful supercomputer. It will be inaugurated on Monday 13 June 2022 in Kajaani. LUMI offers European researchers a world-class tool for understanding complicated phenomena, such as climate change. LUMI serves as a platform for international research cooperation and for the development of artificial intelligence and quantum technology. Part of the resources of the computer will focus on industrial research and development activities. LUMI’s environmentally friendly solutions distinguish it from supercomputers known for their heavy use of energy. LUMI is a key tool in promoting digital and green transition throughout society.
LUMI is owned by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, and it is run by a consortium of 10 countries with long traditions and knowledge of scientific computing. Researchers all over Europe can apply for access to LUMI’s resources, which means that all of Europe can benefit from this new research instrument. LUMI has been set up in Kajaani, in one of the world’s greenest data centres, which is hosted by CSC – IT Center for Science Ltd.
–Today marks a major step for Europe’s digital and green transformation. LUMI is now the fastest and most energy-efficient supercomputer in Europe, and one of the most powerful ones in the world. Thanks to its massive computing capacity, LUMI will enable scientific breakthroughs in for instance medicine and climate research at a much faster pace. It could be in the development of vaccines, diagnosis of cancer, or mitigation of the effects of climate change. This is a great example of the enormous potential of artificial intelligence to improve our lives, Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission.
–The societal challenges for which we use supercomputers exist on a global scale. The extent of these challenges, and the work required to tackle and transform them into innovation opportunities, requires much collaboration across many branches of academia and countless research teams. It therefore can only make sense that one of the biggest and most important research infrastructures should be based on extensive collaboration. In this, EuroHPC’s LUMI consortium collaboration is a pioneering effort to strengthen European competitiveness and digital sovereignty while promoting global research collaboration, says Anders Dam Jensen, Executive Director of the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking.
– LUMI is an ecosystem for high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and data-intensive research, which enables breakthroughs in several branches of academic research. In addition, a fifth of LUMI’s capacity is targeted to companies that are getting the opportunity to use methods of next-generation high-performance computing and to give rise to new skills and innovation, says Managing Director Kimmo Koski, of CSC, which operates LUMI.
LUMI, Europe’s most powerful supercomputer, is also a partner for quantum computers
LUMI is Europe’s most powerful supercomputer. LUMI was ranked third on the latest Top500 list of the world’s fastest supercomputers, which was released at the end of May. LUMI’s massive computing capacity is primarily based on its many graphics processors, or GPU processors. They are especially suitable for use with various methods involving artificial intelligence, especially for deep learning. The LUMI supercomputer gives European researchers access to a world-class tool to help gain understanding of complex phenomena. Quantum computers need supercomputers alongside them to harness their capacity to the right targets as a part of the research process.
– Finland possesses a significant quantum technology knowledge hub – also on European level. The combination of high performance and quantum computers strengthens the attractiveness of the quantum ecosystem in Finland and in Europe. Jointly they create new kind of opportunities for scientific computing as well as for industrial research and innovations, states Mika Lintilä, Minister of Economic Affairs and Employment in Finland.
Quantum computers therefore do not replace traditional supercomputers. Instead, the technologies are linked inseparably, giving possibility to develop hybrid solutions that utilizes the best parts of classical supercomputing and quantum computing. LUMI has so far been linked successfully with two quantum computers: the Swedish Chalmers/Wallenberg Centre for Quantum Technology QAL 9000 – and to Finland’s first quantum computer, the Helmi operated by VTT.
