High-speed network opens in N China

A Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei computability network, powered by China's high-speed Tianhe Supercomputer, was launched in Tianjin on Tuesday.

Initial investment in the network is set to reach 500 million yuan ($69 million) this year, with expectations for it to surge to 1 billion yuan next year, as announced at the 2024 Tianhe SuperComputability Ecology Conference by the National SuperComputer Center in Tianjin.

Meng Xiangfei, Party secretary of the center, said, "The network, funded by various organizations and companies, aims to enhance the region's presence in the country's computability network and facilitate multilevel coordination among regional governments and companies."

During the conference, a partnership signing ceremony took place among participating organizations and companies.

"Leveraging the power of the Tianhe Supercomputer, this initiative is poised to elevate computing capabilities in the region and extend its impact to other areas," Meng said.

The National SuperComputer Center in Tianjin is renowned for developing and deploying China's top-ranking supercomputers, including the world-renowned Tianhe-1 and the Tianhe new generation.

The center has revealed ambitious targets to achieve computing capabilities ranging from 200 quintillion to 300 quintillion petaflops, resulting in a supercomputing capacity exceeding 100 quintillion calculations per second, an intelligent computing capacity surpassing 100 quintillion calculations per second, and a data management capacity of 100 quintillion bytes per second.

The center signifies China's commitment to self-reliance and advancement in supercomputing technology, and is currently the most widely applied, highest performing and largest output supercomputing center in the country.

Qian Depei, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and head of the National Supercomputing Network Team, said, "Tianhe represents the country's continuous innovation capability, and we urge its broader applications in various fields across China."

In alignment with Qian's vision, a partnership was established between Tianhe and over 30 State-owned enterprises, and the formation of a generative intelligence innovation conglomerate was inaugurated during the conference.

Zhu Ruijun, deputy chief engineer at China ENFI Engineering Co Ltd, said: "With the support of Tianhe, we are enhancing our quality and productivity. It enables us to explore minerals at depths of 2,000-3,000 meters with safety, precision and efficiency."

Yu Long, chief engineer at the Research Academy of Offshore Oil Engineering Co Ltd, based in Tianjin, said, "Our company has been collaborating with Tianhe since 2016, and we will continue our partnership in advancing computing capabilities for deeper sea exploration, undersea pipeline development, human resources training and research."