Argonne National Laboratory Deploys New AI Supercomputers in Public-Private Partnerships to Boost U.S. Research
- MM24 News Desk
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is launching a landmark collaboration with NVIDIA and Oracle to build its largest AI supercomputers yet at Argonne National Laboratory, a move set to dramatically accelerate scientific discovery. This new partnership, alongside the deployment of three additional AI systems, will provide American researchers with an unprecedented computing arsenal to tackle complex challenges in energy, security, and materials science.
The new collaboration between the DOE, Argonne, NVIDIA, and Oracle will immediately grant researchers access to world-class AI resources while constructing two next-generation systems on-site. This initiative aligns with a federal push to accelerate data center infrastructure development. The crown jewel, the Solstice system, will be the largest AI supercomputer in the DOE's lab complex, featuring a staggering 100,000 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs. A second system, Equinox, will be powered by 10,000 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs. Construction for Equinox begins immediately, with delivery expected in 2026.
“Winning the AI race requires new and creative partnerships that will bring together the brightest minds and industries American technology and science has to offer,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. He added that these systems represent a "new commonsense approach to computing partnerships" and will be a "powerhouse for scientific and technological innovation," according to the official announcement.
These powerful systems will be uniquely integrated with the DOE's vast network of scientific instruments and data assets. Oracle will also provide immediate access to computing resources using a combination of NVIDIA Hopper and Blackwell architectures, giving Argonne and other national researchers a critical head start. “AI is the most powerful technology of our time, and science is its greatest frontier,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “Together with the Department of Energy and Oracle, we’re building an AI factory that will serve as America’s engine for discovery.”
The Equinox and Solstice systems are designed to enable scientists to develop and train sophisticated new AI models for open science. These models will form the backbone of agentic AI workflows, essentially making the computer an active collaborator in discovery. “This system will seamlessly connect to forefront DOE experimental facilities such as our Advanced Photon Source,” said Paul Kearns, Argonne National Laboratory director, “allowing scientists to address some of the nation’s most pressing challenges.”
In a parallel effort, Argonne is also deploying three specialized AI systems through an existing partnership with NVIDIA, HPE, and World Wide Technology (WWT). These include Minerva, tailored for AI inference; Janus, for workforce development; and Tara, which will create a world-leading integrated AI-HPC environment. “We’re entering a new era of supercomputing — one in which AI and HPC converge to form intelligent systems that blend simulation, data and inference,” said Rick Stevens, Argonne’s associate laboratory director for Computing, Environment and Life Sciences.
This multi-pronged approach ensures U.S. researchers have the tools needed for every stage of AI-driven research. “Together through our partnership with Argonne, we are strengthening the nation’s leadership in science and engineering by delivering some of the world’s most powerful infrastructure,” stated Trish Damkroger, senior vice president and general manager, HPC & AI Infrastructure Solutions at HPE. All five systems headed to Argonne are poised to drastically shorten the path from scientific idea to groundbreaking discovery, solidifying America's position at the forefront of global AI research.
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