The European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) has announced a major new funding call to reshape how high-performance computing (HPC) systems are benchmarked and evaluated across Europe.
Backed by a €4m budget under the Horizon Europe programme, the initiative seeks to establish robust, transparent, and future-proof benchmarking practices that can keep pace with rapidly evolving computing technologies.
Open for submissions until 24 March 2026 at 17:00 CET, the call invites researchers, industry players, and technology organisations to contribute to a new generation of benchmarking frameworks for both classical and emerging hybrid computing environments.
The importance of high-performance computing
High-performance computing refers to the use of powerful computing systems capable of processing vast amounts of data and performing complex calculations at extremely high speeds.
HPC systems are essential for tasks that exceed the capabilities of conventional computers, such as climate modelling, drug discovery, aerospace simulation, artificial intelligence training, and advanced materials research.
As Europe invests heavily in exascale computing and AI-driven workloads, the potential of HPC continues to grow.
Well-designed benchmarking ensures that this potential is fully realised by helping users match the right systems to the right applications, while also encouraging innovation in energy-efficient and sustainable computing architectures.
Building a unified benchmarking standard for HPC systems
At the heart of the call is the ambition to create a unified, modular, and extensible benchmarking framework for HPC systems.
EuroHPC JU aims to replace fragmented approaches with a well-documented, continuously updated suite of benchmarks that can be widely adopted across Europe.
Benchmarking plays a critical role in high-performance computing, enabling fair and repeatable comparisons of hardware and software platforms.
A common framework will allow users to validate performance claims, compare systems objectively, and make informed decisions based on real-world workloads rather than isolated metrics.
For system operators, the initiative also supports the optimisation of throughput and energy efficiency – two priorities that are becoming increasingly important as HPC systems scale toward exascale performance.
Focus area one: Benchmarking exascale and HPC-AI systems
The first topic under the call, A European HPC-centric Benchmarking Framework, targets exascale computing and HPC-AI convergence.
Proposals are expected to define and standardise benchmarks that enable reproducible, repeatable, and replicable performance evaluations across different HPC systems.
Key objectives include the development of fine-grained performance metrics, particularly those related to energy efficiency, as well as the standardisation of benchmarking inputs and outputs.
Applicants must also design a structured workflow that captures the full benchmarking lifecycle – from deployment to data collection and analysis.
Focus area two: Benchmarks for hybrid quantum-classical computing
The second topic shifts attention to the future, addressing benchmarking for hybrid quantum-classical computing.
As quantum technologies mature, there is growing interest in integrating quantum processors with traditional HPC systems.
Proposals in this area should define hardware-agnostic benchmarks that measure throughput, latency, energy consumption, and the depth of integration between HPC and quantum computing.
Applicants are also expected to outline a strategic roadmap that anticipates technological advances and supports diverse qubit modalities.
Strengthening Europe’s HPC ecosystem
By investing in advanced benchmarking frameworks, EuroHPC JU is reinforcing Europe’s leadership in HPC systems while ensuring transparency, comparability, and sustainability.
The call represents a significant opportunity to shape how performance is measured – not just today, but in the hybrid and quantum-enabled HPC environments of tomorrow.
