The European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) has announced a €4 million funding call to transform how high-performance computing (HPC) systems are benchmarked and evaluated throughout Europe. The initiative, funded under the Horizon Europe programme, aims to create robust, transparent, and future-ready benchmarking practices that can keep up with rapidly evolving computing technologies.
Submissions are open until 24 March 2026 at 17:00 CET, inviting researchers, technology companies, and industry stakeholders to contribute to the next generation of HPC benchmarking frameworks, covering both classical and hybrid computing environments.
Why High-Performance Computing Matters
HPC systems are powerful computers capable of processing massive datasets and performing complex calculations at unmatched speeds. These systems are crucial for applications that exceed the capacity of conventional computers, such as:
- Climate modelling
- Drug discovery
- Aerospace simulations
- AI training
- Advanced materials research
As Europe invests heavily in exascale computing and AI-driven workloads, well-designed benchmarking becomes essential. Accurate benchmarks help users select the right systems for specific applications while encouraging innovation in energy-efficient and sustainable computing architectures.
Building a Unified European HPC Benchmarking Standard
The core goal of the call is to establish a modular, extensible, and widely adoptable benchmarking framework. Currently, benchmarking approaches are fragmented across Europe. EuroHPC JU wants to unify standards with a well-documented, continuously updated suite of benchmarks.
A common framework will allow users to:
- Validate performance claims
- Compare HPC systems objectively
- Optimize throughput and energy efficiency
Furthermore, it ensures that HPC performance is measured against real-world workloads rather than isolated theoretical metrics.
Focus Area 1: Benchmarking Exascale and HPC-AI Systems
The first priority of the call focuses on exascale computing and the convergence of HPC with AI. Proposals should:
- Define reproducible and replicable performance metrics
- Standardize benchmarking inputs and outputs
- Measure energy efficiency
- Include a structured workflow covering the full benchmarking lifecycle
These measures aim to deliver fair and consistent performance evaluation across European HPC systems.
Focus Area 2: Benchmarks for Hybrid Quantum-Classical Computing
The second focus addresses the future of hybrid quantum-classical systems. As quantum technologies advance, integrating quantum processors with HPC becomes increasingly important. Applicants should:
- Develop hardware-agnostic benchmarks
- Measure throughput, latency, energy use, and integration depth
- Outline strategic roadmaps for technological evolution
- Support diverse qubit types and hybrid workloads
This area ensures Europe remains ahead in the emerging field of quantum-enabled HPC.
Strengthening Europe’s HPC Ecosystem
By funding advanced benchmarking frameworks, EuroHPC JU reinforces Europe’s leadership in high-performance computing while promoting transparency, comparability, and sustainability. The initiative is an opportunity to shape performance evaluation today and prepare for hybrid and quantum HPC environments of tomorrow.
