Japanese supercomputer Fugaku is now the most powerful in the world

Japan has proven that the perception that “in two, the third does not fit” is wrong, at least as far as supercomputers are concerned.

Significant reshuffles are taking place in the new “Top 500” ranking of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, a symbol of national technological and economic competitiveness, which has been practiced by German and American scientists every six months since 1993.

While in recent years American and Chinese computers were at the top, Japan moved —and by far— in first place with the new supercomputer “Fugaku”, leaving in second and third place, respectively, American “Summit” and “Sierra”. The last time Japan was first again was in 2011 with its supercomputer “K Supercomputer”.

“Fugaku” (another name for the emblematic Japanese Mount Fiji), is a creation of the Japanese company “Fujitsu” and is located at the state computer science center “RIKEN” in Kobe. It is currently conducting experimental work on Covid-19 disease (such as simulations of how rapidly it spreads), with a tremendous processing power of 415.5 petaflops, compared to 148.8 petaflops of IBM’s “Summit”, located in Tennessee Oak Ridge National Laboratory and 94.9 petaflops of “Sierra”, owned by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.

In fourth place is now the Chinese “TaihuLight” with 93 petaflops, in fifth place is also the Chinese “Tianhe-2A” with 61.4 petaflops and in sixth place is a new system, the American-made “HPC5”, with 35.5 petaflops, which is owned by the Italian energy company “Eni” and is now the strongest in Europe.

China continues to dominate the “Top 500” list with 226 supercomputers, compared to 114 of the United States, 30 of Japan, 18 of France and 16 of Germany.

Most supercomputers are made by the Chinese companies “Lenovo” (180), “Sugon” (68) and “Inspur” (64).

Source: ANA

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