Finance Minister Dr. Danyal Bayaz and Science Minister Petra Olschowski laid the foundation stone today for the new HLRS III high-performance computing center on Campus Vaihingen. Here, the next generation of supercomputers is being developed, along with an important Europe-wide infrastructure for artificial intelligence.
Supporting innovation and excellence in research across the region
Finance Minister Dr. Danyal Bayaz: "We are constructing a state-of-the-art building, promoting innovation and cutting-edge research in the region, and investing in our future. Space is being created here for a new generation of computers. The new HLRS III in Stuttgart will be top-class in Europe and a leading hub for high-performance computing and artificial intelligence Europe-wide".
Federal Minister for Research, Technology, and Space Dorothee Bär: "HLRS III will become a key component of Germany’s high-performance and AI computing infrastructure. In Stuttgart, important supercomputing resources for science and industry are available through Hunter and the upcoming Herder computing system. The successful establishment of the AI Factory "HammerHAI" also strengthens the AI capabilities of start-ups and SMEs, while research institutions will benefit from its services and the expertise developed. In doing this, we are laying the groundwork for Germany’s High-Tech Agenda and enabling AI "Made in Germany". The HLRS in Stuttgart, together with the LRZ in Garching near Munich and the JSC with JUPITER in Jülich, forms a central pillar of German supercomputing expertise – with international impact."
Science Minister Petra Olschowski: "By laying the foundation stone for this new center, we are sending a clear signal: Baden-Württemberg is taking the lead in supercomputing. The HLRS III building will significantly strengthen our cutting-edge research. It provides researchers across the state with exactly the foundation they need for high-performance computing and the AI applications of tomorrow. Here, we are making a deliberate, top-level investment in technological sovereignty, because we want to shape Baden-Württemberg’s future ourselves rather than leaving it to others."
Professor Peter Middendorf, Rector of the University of Stuttgart: "The visionary new HLRS III building is a milestone for the digital future of the University of Stuttgart and beyond. The building demonstrates how we combine cutting-edge technology with sustainability. The Herder supercomputer housed there will not only enable scientific excellence but will also actively contribute to decarbonizing our campus through the planned use of its waste heat."
A central platform for AI applications in science and industry
The new HLRS III facility will house the next-generation computing system "Herder," with a performance of several hundred petaflops. One petaflop corresponds to one quadrillion floating-point operations per second (FLOPS). At the same time, the European AI Factory "HammerHAI" is being established as a central platform for AI applications in science and industry.
Photovoltaic systems on the roof and facades generate electricity. The supercomputer’s waste heat will be fed into the campus heating network. For this concept, HLRS was awarded the "Datacenter Strategy Award" in 2024. By combining natural ventilation with a hybrid construction of wood, reinforced concrete, and resource-efficient RC concrete, an energy-efficient and future-ready building is taking shape.
The architectural centerpiece is the column-free High-Performance Computing (HPC) room. The HPC room and the offices are spatially separated by a so-called canyon. The canyon is an atrium spanning the full height of the building, offering visitors fascinating insights. Flexible office spaces for around 40 workstations and modern technical rooms complete the infrastructure.
The state is investing approximately EUR 138.5 million in the new building. The federal government is contributing an additional EUR 40.1 million toward the HLRS III building’s technical and structural infrastructure. The total project cost amounts to EUR 178.6 million.
The University Building Authority of Stuttgart and Hohenheim, under the Agency for Property and Construction, is responsible for the implementation.