Japanese tech giant Fujitsu Limited announced that they have been selected by the Japanese research and development institute RIKEN to design FugakuNext, the country’s next-gen flagship supercomputer.

As per the contract, Fujitsu will be responsible for designing the overall system, computer nodes, and CPU components; the basic design phase will be ongoing until February 27, 2026

The rise of Generative AI in recent years has also introduced the need to build larger and faster supercomputers that can be used for large-scale experiments and simulations.

A Japanese government committee has highlighted the growing importance of using AI with scientific simulations and real-time data — a concept called “AI for Science.” This approach is becoming a top priority for countries that want to stay ahead in science and innovation.

Japan has decided to build a supercomputing platform to meet this new demand, putting RIKEN in charge of this process. RIKEN has appointed Fujitsu to design the system for this platform.

A brief history of FugakuNext

FugakuNext is the advanced version of Fugaku, the base supercomputer which debuted in 2020 and reached the Top500 supercomputer list with 415.5 Linpack petaflops. RIKEN had teamed up and worked with Fujitsu for a decade to release this supercomputer.

Fugaku received praise for its simulations during the COVID-19 phase. However, two years post its release, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports(MEXT) had already started planning to build FugakuNext.

In 2023, MEXT selected four teams (out of seven applicants) to conduct feasibility studies — research to see if building this new system is possible and worthwhile. These studies started in August 2022 and will continue until March 2024. The total budget for this phase is 450 million yen (about $3 million USD).

The grand vision for FugakuNext

Japan aims to make FugakuNext a zetta-class supercomputer – about 1000X faster than current supercomputers. Its predecessor, Fugaku, achieved 442 petaFLOPS of performance and sealed the fourth position in the Top500 supercomputer list.

FugakuNext is projected to achieve 1000X better performance than current supercomputers. It aims to beat the United States’ Frontier supercomputer, which has produced exascale performance.

The total budget to build this supercomputer is expected to be around $ 750 million.

Advanced CPU for FugakuNext supercomputer

Fujitsu will be using its new and advanced CPU called FUJITSU-MONAKA3 to make the FugakuNext supercomputer. FugakuNext will also be designed to work with GPUs and other accelerators, which will make it efficient in handling multiple tasks, ranging from AI to scientific simulations.

FUJITSU-MONAKA and its successor MONAKA-X are cutting-edge CPUs designed for high performance and energy efficiency. MONAKA-X will power FugakuNEXT, supporting advanced AI and diverse computing needs.

Fujitsu aims to drive innovation, sustainability, and societal trust through world-class Japanese technology and transformative research and development.

“Fujitsu is determined to build a system that can dynamically meet customer needs, drawing on our invaluable experience from Fugaku and the cutting-edge technologies of FUJITSU-MONAKA and FUJITSU-MONAKA-X,” said Vivek Mahajan, CTO of System Platform, Fujitsu.

“By forging diverse partnerships, we will deliver the powerful computing infrastructure that society and industry need to succeed,” Mahajan expressed.

“We’ll be channeling the expertise cultivated through this project into the development of next-generation Neural Processing Units (NPUs) and other advanced AI processors, taking Made-in-Japan technology from Japan to the world.” He added.