CAPTION: Future supercomputers shall be capable of at least a billion billion calculations per second. (picture alliance/dpa Themendienst/archive)
European Union countries decided on Monday to set up a joint undertaking to develop supercomputers, an effort to bolster the continent's technological standing, which has been lagging behind China and the US in processing big data.
Supercomputers, which are capable of processing huge amounts of data in a short time, are used for research in areas ranging from medicine to the management of large-scale disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes.
The undertaking, which would pool together both private and public funding within the EU, aims to develop the technology for reaching exascale capabilities - allowing for at least a billion billion (10 to the power of 18) calculations per second - by 2022 or 2023.
The EU is contributing 486 million euros (568 billion dollars) to the project from its general budget. Other contributions are expected from individual EU member states, third countries and private investments.
The current undertaking would start by the end of 2019, at the latest, and run until 2026.
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