Berlin Research Alliance Breaks Ground on New AI and High-Performance Computing Hub
March 30, 2026
A major collaborative effort to bolster Germany's scientific computing capabilities is underway in Berlin. The Zuse Institute Berlin (ZIB) and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) have formally partnered to establish a new, multi-phase Data, Compute and AI Center in the city's Adlershof science and technology park.
The initiative, announced at a ceremony on March 27, addresses the exponentially growing demand for data-intensive research in fields like materials science, health, and climate studies. The center is designed to provide the powerful digital infrastructure necessary for modern, data-driven scientific discovery while enhancing the technological independence of Berlin's research ecosystem.
The project will unfold in distinct stages. Initially, ZIB will consolidate its existing high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure in Berlin-Dahlem to serve partner institutions. Concurrently, an interim site with expanded hardware will be established at HZB's campus in Berlin-Adlershof. A subsequent phase involves planning for additional, unspecified computing capacities based on the evolving needs of the scientific community. Specific details on the hardware to be deployed or the total expected compute power have not yet been disclosed.
The significance of the partnership was underscored by key stakeholders. Berlin's Senator for Science, Health and Care, Dr. Ina Czyborra, stated, “With the new data center, two strong partners are creating the digital power infrastructure that modern cutting-edge research needs today.” Professor Christof Schütte, President of ZIB, emphasized the strategic vision, noting the center will establish “a collaborative infrastructure for data-intensive cutting-edge research... relying on powerful, flexible, and secure operating models.”
Professor Bernd Rech, HZB’s Scientific Director, highlighted the specific benefits for materials science, explaining that the collaboration “lays the foundations for the next generation of data-driven materials science” and will significantly strengthen the IT infrastructure for HZB's BESSY II synchrotron light source and its planned successor, BESSY III.
The partners bring substantial legacy expertise to the venture. HZB currently operates a cluster named Z1, featuring 20 Nvidia A40 GPUs and eight nodes equipped with A100 GPUs. ZIB, a pioneer hosting supercomputers since a Cray 1M system in 1984, currently manages part of the North-German Supercomputing Alliance's (HLRN) infrastructure, including the Berlin-based "Konrad" system—a Cray XC30 with 744 nodes, 46.5 terabytes of memory, and 1.4 petabytes of storage.
This new center represents a strategic consolidation and expansion of Berlin's scientific computing resources, positioning the region to compete at the forefront of international research requiring advanced AI and HPC capabilities.
Source: datacenterdynamics
