Forschungszentrum Julich

What Forschungszentrum Julich does

Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ) is a large multidisciplinary government research center founded in 1956 in Jülich, Germany, operating as a member of the Helmholtz Association — Germany's largest scientific organization. The center employs approximately 7,571 staff across 16+ specialized institutes covering energy (hydrogen, electrochemical, photovoltaics, fusion), information (supercomputing, quantum, neuromorphic computing, simulation science), and bioeconomy (plant sciences, biotechnology, agrosphere, neuroscience, structural biology). Its core research infrastructure includes JUPITER, Europe's first exascale supercomputer (>1 ExaFLOP/s, ranked 5th globally on TOP500 and most energy-efficient in its class), and JUNIQ, the world's first quantum computing user infrastructure providing access to multiple quantum systems including a D-Wave Advantage2 and eleQtron MAGIC ion-trap processors.

FZJ operates as a non-commercial research institution funded principally by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia through the Helmholtz Association, supplemented by European Commission grants (EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, EU Chips Act, EERA Clean Hydrogen) and industry collaborations with partners such as Ericsson, Siemens Energy, ZEISS, D-Wave, NVIDIA, and eleQtron. Its technology transfer occurs via the Innovation Management division, which supports spin-offs (Drought Analytics, Hyca Heat, ARQUE Systems), patent licensing, and joint development. Distribution of computing resources follows a competitive application model for academic researchers and a direct enterprise engagement model for industry partners.

The center's business model does not rely on commercial product pricing; instead, value is captured through institutional funding, competitive computing-time allocation, collaborative research agreements, and IP commercialization. Customers span academic researchers, European research consortia (EERA Clean Hydrogen covers 250+ organizations), government agencies (DLR), and enterprise partners in energy, telecoms, and quantum computing. Branch operations in Erlangen (HI ERN) and Münster (HI MS) extend its renewable energy and storage research footprint.

Name

Forschungszentrum Julich

Legal name

Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH

Website

https://fz-juelich.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Forschungszentrum Jülich is a German government research center operating JUPITER (Europe's first exascale supercomputer) and JUNIQ quantum computing infrastructure, serving academic researchers, European research consortia, and industry partners across energy, information, and bioeconomy domains.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Research Infrastructure and Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Research Universities with National Laboratories/Big Science Facilities (EDAHAAAJ), Research Collaboration & Joint Labs (International Partnerships) (EDAIABAC)

Keywords

• Research services
• Exascale supercomputing
• Quantum computing infrastructure
• Hydrogen technology research
• Interdisciplinary scientific research

Headquarters

HQ city

Jülich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Research Funding: Primary funding from German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), state government of North Rhine-Westphalia, and membership in the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers.
2. European Commission Research Grants: Funding through EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and other EU programmes including Chips Act for quantum technology development and AI infrastructure.
3. Industry Collaborations: Collaborative research agreements with companies such as Ericsson, Siemens Energy, ZEISS, and D-Wave for joint technology development.
4. Computing Time Allocation: Provision of computing time on JUPITER and JUNIQ to national and international research projects through competitive review processes.
5. Technology Transfer and Licensing: Transfer of research outcomes through spin-off companies, patent licensing, and technology commercialization via Innovation Management division.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Forschungszentrum Jülich is a large multidisciplinary research center conducting scientific research in energy, information, and bioeconomy domains. It operates major research infrastructure including the JUPITER exascale supercomputer and JUNIQ quantum computing user infrastructure, providing computing time to academic and industry researchers through competitive review processes. The center also coordinates large-scale European research programmes (e.g., EERA Clean Hydrogen) and conducts collaborative research with industry partners, with technology transfer through spin-offs, patents, and licensing.

Product overview

Forschungszentrum Jülich is a large multidisciplinary research organization operating as part of the Helmholtz Association. Its portfolio consists of specialized research institutes, major research infrastructure, and technical facilities rather than commercial products. The core infrastructure includes JUPITER (Europe's first exascale supercomputer exceeding 1 ExaFLOP/s) and JUNIQ (the world's first quantum computing user infrastructure providing access to various quantum systems). Additional offerings span specialized institutes covering bio- and geosciences (IBG), biological information processing (IBI), climate and energy systems (ICE), energy technologies (IET), fusion energy and nuclear waste management (IFN), hydrogen economy (IHE), energy materials and devices (IMD), neuroscience and medicine (INM), supercomputing (JSC), and quantum/semiconductor research through the Peter Grünberg Institut (PGI). Technical support services include electronics, data processing, construction, and workshop facilities. The organization also operates visitor services and a guest house.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• JUPITER Exascale Supercomputer Access Computing time on Europe's first exascale supercomputer (>1 ExaFLOP/s at 64-bit precision, ranked 5th on TOP500), allocated to national and international research projects for scientific simulations in climate, energy, medical, and materials research through competitive application processes. Over 120 projects have applied for computing time.
• JUNIQ Quantum Computing User Infrastructure World's first quantum computing user infrastructure providing scientists and industry users access to various quantum computing systems at different development stages, including the D-Wave Advantage2 annealing quantum computer.
• Guest House Accommodation Accommodation facility in Jülich city center with 62 units in five categories (shared 4-person apartment from EUR 395/month to 3-room flat at EUR 1,460/month), serving employees, visiting scientists, and students of Forschungszentrum Jülich.
• Campus Visitor Tours Free guided tours of the campus for groups of 10 or more people on weekdays, with topics aligned to specific research areas.

Quantifiable outcome

• JUPITER achieved 1 ExaFLOP/s computing performance, exceeding the exascale threshold as first European supercomputer
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability11 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European Energy Research Alliance (EERA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Prof. Peter Wasserscheid appointed coordinator of EERA's Clean Hydrogen research programme covering hydrogen production, storage technologies, and applications in industry, mobility, and energy trading across 250+ European research organizations.
• Alexander von Humboldt FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Prize awarded to Prof. Iryna Zenyuk enabling her research stay at Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg (HI ERN), a branch of Forschungszentrum Jülich.
• NVIDIAcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 May 2026Collaboration with NVIDIA on the JUPITER supercomputer using GH200 Superchips for quantum simulation research. The 50-qubit simulation required over 16,000 GH200 Superchips.
• GSI HelmholtzzentrumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Laser experiments conducted at GSI Helmholtzzentrum in Darmstadt using PHELIX high-power laser on pre-polarized Helium-3 gas for laser-plasma acceleration research.
• EricssoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Collaboration to develop neuromorphic AI for telecoms focusing on energy-efficient hardware architectures for future networks including 6G. Uses Europe's fastest supercomputer Jupiter for AI and HPC research.
• SPINS ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026€50 million semiconductor quantum pilot line under EU Chips Act coordinated by imec with 25 European partners including Forschungszentrum Jülich, focusing on semiconductor-based spin qubits for quantum computing.
• RWTH Aachen UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Long-standing research partnership in quantum computing, including collaboration on fault-tolerant quantum computation demonstration using trapped-ion quantum processor implementing Grover's search algorithm.
• ETH ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Collaboration with Paul Scherrer Institute, RWTH Aachen University, and Forschungszentrum Jülich on quantum operations between superconducting logical qubits while correcting errors during computation.
• SPINNING Project PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Joint project developing diamond spin-photon-based quantum computer with 6 universities, 2 non-profit research institutions, 5 industrial companies, and 14 associated partners. Coordinated by Fraunhofer IAF.
• eleQtroncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025eleQtron develops scalable ion trap quantum processors using MAGIC technology in partnership with Forschungszentrum Jülich and DLR. Long-term collaboration for scalable quantum chip production in Europe.
• Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Collaboration with FMD to establish scalable quantum chip production in Europe using FMD's microfabrication expertise. Involves Fraunhofer ENAS and Fraunhofer ISIT focusing on heterogeneous integration and novel packaging.
• Siemens EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Joint megawatt-scale electrolyzer test facility with Siemens Energy where researchers study aging processes in electrolyzers using advanced ZEISS X-ray and scanning electron microscopes.
• ZEISScoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2025ZEISS X-ray and scanning electron microscopes used by Forschungszentrum Jülich researchers to study aging processes in electrolyzers for improving hydrogen production efficiency.
• EuroHPC AI Factories NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025EuroHPC selected new AI Factory in Germany to work alongside JUPITER, providing AI-optimized high-performance computing resources, training, and technical expertise to startups, SMEs, and researchers.
• D-Wave Quantum Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025D-Wave's Advantage2 annealing quantum computer was purchased for installation at Jülich Supercomputing Centre. D-Wave highlighted collaboration with Jülich as evidence of quantum's near-term viability for practical applications.
• Human Brain ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Forschungszentrum Jülich participated in the decade-long EU-funded Human Brain Project advancing digital neuroscience and brain research infrastructure.
• CINECAminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024EuroHPC JU procured EuroQCS-Italy quantum computer to be hosted by CINECA in Bologna as part of Europe's quantum computing infrastructure integration.
• EuroHPC Joint UndertakingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023EuroHPC JU developed and procured JUPITER, Europe's first exascale supercomputer. The joint undertaking coordinates European high-performance computing resources and has invested significantly in Jülich's supercomputing infrastructure.
• ARQUE SystemsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022Spin-off from Forschungszentrum Jülich and RWTH Aachen University developing scalable quantum computer architecture using conventional semiconductor technology. First quantum processor being installed at Jülich Supercomputing Centre.
• de.NBI / ELIXIR GermanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017IBG-5 coordinates the German Network for Bioinformatics Infrastructure (de.NBI) and ELIXIR Germany, the German node of the European ELIXIR infrastructure, providing bioinformatics tools and training.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CINECA: Italian non-profit computing consortium and EuroHPC hosting site (hosting Leonardo pre-exascale and EuroQCS-Italy quantum computer). Direct peer to FZJ as another EuroHPC national supercomputing centre competing for European research allocations and serving as a hosting site for European quantum infrastructure.
• Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC): Spain's national supercomputing centre, host of the MareNostrum pre-exascale system and an early EuroHPC site. Direct peer to FZJ in operating tier-1 European HPC infrastructure and coordinating large European research consortia.
• Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS): Operates the Alps supercomputer and provides national HPC services to Swiss academia and industry. Direct peer to FZJ as a national HPC centre serving research and industry with tier-1 systems and EuroHPC integration.
• GENCI: France's national HPC agency operating TGCC and contributing to EuroHPC. Direct peer to FZJ in coordinating and providing HPC access to national research communities and as a EuroHPC partner.
• CEA (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives): French government-funded multidisciplinary research organization covering energy, information technology, and defense. Direct peer to FZJ as a comparable large-scale European national research centre operating big-science infrastructure including HPC and quantum (TGCC host).
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): Germany's largest research university and member of the Helmholtz Association, with significant HPC activities through SCC. Direct peer to FZJ as a German Helmholtz-affiliated research institution operating major research infrastructure including supercomputing.

Broad incumbents

• Max Planck Society: Germany's largest non-governmental basic research organization with 86 institutes covering physics, biology, materials, and more. Broad incumbent peer to FZJ as a fellow major German research umbrella organization operating at scale with significant federal/state co-funding.
• Fraunhofer Society: Europe's largest applied research organization with 76 institutes focused on contract research for industry. Broad incumbent peer to FZJ in German research landscape and a direct collaborator in quantum chip production (Research Fab Microelectronics Germany).
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory: U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory operating the Frontier exascale supercomputer (currently ranked #1 on TOP500). Broad incumbent peer to FZJ as a major national-lab operator of tier-1 exascale HPC infrastructure with similar research breadth.
• RIKEN: Japan's largest multidisciplinary research organization, operator of the Fugaku supercomputer (formerly #1 on TOP500). Broad incumbent peer to FZJ as a national research organization operating flagship HPC and quantum systems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fz_juelich
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@forschungszentrumjuelich
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/49116
• Instagraminstagram.com/forschungszentrum_juelich
• Facebookfacebook.com/info

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Forschungszentrum Julich