Predicting climate impacts, designing new medicines, and building advanced control systems are among the ambitious goals pursued with artificial intelligence (AI) on the cutting edge of technology. A supercomputer stands as the core instrument—a machine capable of operations far beyond ordinary devices. Its mission is to advance research, and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center – National Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS) recently unveiled MareNostrum 5, the most powerful iteration yet.
“This is technological genius,” remarked Pedro Sánchez. “This will allow Catalonia and Barcelona to become the science capital of Europe, which is beneficial for Spain.” The Spanish Government’s head joined Pere Aragonès, president of the Generalitat, to observe BSC facilities. They called for solutions to shared challenges, with the Minister of Science and Innovation in attendance, alongside the Mayor of Barcelona and other regional leaders.
Back in June 2019, BSC outlined a plan to guarantee the country’s strategic autonomy in technological matters for the European Union. MareNostrum 5 was slated for release at the end of 2020, but the COVID-19 outbreak delayed progress. Now, the most powerful exascale processor on the market has begun its journey in Spain, signaling a new era for the nation’s research infrastructure.
Spain ranks among the world’s 10 most powerful supercomputers
technological power
MareNostrum 5 represents the latest chapter in a saga of Catalan supercomputing that began in 2004. If MareNostrum 4 could handle about 14,000 billion calculations per second, the new system reaches an astounding 314,000 billion calculations per second. In practical terms, what takes a mid-to-high-end laptop a full 46 years to perform can be completed in a single hour by MareNostrum 5. The system is described as having scientific and technology transfer capabilities that set it apart within Europe.
The total investment totals 202 million euros, covering purchase, installation, and five years of operation. Spain leads a consortium covering half of the funding, with partners from Portugal and Türkiye contributing the other half through European funds. This makes MareNostrum 5 the largest European investment in scientific infrastructure funded by Spain.
scientific thrust
With this leap, MareNostrum 5 becomes one of the globe’s most powerful machines, advancing research across disciplines and addressing big questions in science. The system’s “digital twins” concept uses virtual Earth and human-body replicas to simulate complex future scenarios, enabling better forecasts of global warming impacts and deeper understanding of biology and genetics to accelerate medicine. The drive to find cures for diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer’s is highlighted as one of humanity’s greatest challenges. (Citation: BSC-CNS)
This approach, which demands substantial computational power, has already begun to influence urban planning in Barcelona, guiding smarter decision-making for the city. The center also envisions MareNostrum 5 boosting the design and manufacture of semiconductors—an EU strategic priority. European authorities emphasize that Europe must not miss this opportunity, underscoring a broader shift toward technological sovereignty. (Citation: European Commission)
MareNostrum 5 is expected to support the development of new energy technologies such as nuclear fusion and to optimize aviation aerodynamics. The system’s enhanced processing and storage capabilities will handle hundreds of billions of data points, paving the way for more advanced neural networks that surpass early models like those popularized with ChatGPT. (Citation: BSC-CNS)
Unique infrastructure
The MareNostrum 5 architecture comprises two integrated systems: one focused on traditional computing and another aimed at expanding the frontiers of knowledge through artificial intelligence. The first part is the world’s largest x86-based computing partition, while the second stands as the third most powerful partition in Europe and the eighth globally. In the near term, two quantum computers will be integrated, marking the first such machines south of Europe, to be housed at Torre Girona, site of the MareNostrum 4 facilities. (Citation: BSC-CNS)
The two-headed setup—described as ideal by Valero—positions BSC as the only European supercomputing center to feature dual high-power partitions on the world’s top lists. The facility spans up to 800 square meters, equivalent to three tennis courts, with up to eight server columns composing the new system. BSC operates as a public consortium formed through collaboration among the Government of Spain, the Generalitat of Catalonia, and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. More than 1,000 people contribute to the center’s mission of driving a significant leap in scientific research through this supercomputer.