Senator Lamar Alexander today said the U.S. Department of Energy’s announcement to build a next generation exascale supercomputer – which will be five times faster than today’s most powerful computers – at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is “even more proof that Oak Ridge’s brainpower, energy research and technological capabilities are the best in the world.”
“Supercomputers can be used to solve problems in every area of scientific research, and today’s announcement that the next generation of supercomputers will be built at Oak Ridge National Laboratory means we will be able to keep America first in supercomputing.” Senator Alexander said. “China, Japan, the U.S., and the European Union all want to be first in advanced computing. The stakes are high because the winner has an advantage in such things as advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence. Today’s decision is even more proof that Oak Ridge’s brainpower, energy research and technological capabilities are the best in the world. I’m very proud of this area, what I like to call ‘the Oak Ridge Corridor,’ and what it has been able to accomplish.”
According to the department, the supercomputer, to be known as “Frontier,” is scheduled to be completed in 2021 and will accelerate innovation in science and technology and maintain U.S. leadership in high-performance computing and artificial intelligence. Since 2005, Oak Ridge National Laboratory has deployed Jaguar, Titan, and Summit, all of which have been ranked as the world’s fastest supercomputers.
This week the U.S. Department of Energy is hosting the InnovationXLab: Advanced Manufacturing Summit at DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory to accelerate innovation and U.S. competitiveness. U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry and Governor Bill Lee are participating in the summit.