Dresden: DLR Launches the CARA Supercomputer

In this way, the DLR is addressing the growing demand for computing power in research and development across key innovation sectors such as aviation, space, energy, transportation, quantum technologies, and artificial intelligence. On April 1, 2026, the upgraded CARA supercomputer was officially unveiled.

“CARA is more than just an IT infrastructure. CARA represents the next stage of digitalization in aerospace and transportation. Simulation, data analysis, and artificial intelligence are no longer merely supporting tools, but central drivers of innovation. The facility enables state-of-the-art applications such as AI-supported analyses, quantum simulations, and data-intensive projects—precisely where conventional IT systems reach their limits. CARA demonstrates what is possible when research institutions successfully collaborate with the federal government and the states,” explains Prof. Dr.-Ing. Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla, Chair of the DLR Executive Board.

CARA: Innovation through High-Performance Computing in Technology and Research

As a large-scale research facility, CARA is designed to handle highly complex numerical simulations. Exceptionally high computing power is required, particularly when technical problems—such as those in design or optimization—are translated into extensive systems of mathematical equations. In addition to classic numerical simulations, the supercomputer is used in many other areas. These include, among other things, analyses of stall and wake vortices in aircraft, the reduction of aerodynamic drag in cars and trains, the optimal placement of wind turbines, as well as the reduction of pollutants and the improvement of efficiency in combustion processes. Furthermore, the system enables AI-supported applications, atmospheric simulations, quantum simulations, and extensive data analyses.

Part of a powerful HPC infrastructure

Alongside its sister system CARO in Göttingen, CARA is a central component of the DLR’s HPC infrastructure (HPC stands for High Performance Computing). Both systems are available to all DLR institutes and are deployed whenever conventional PCs or servers are insufficient due to limited computing power or storage capacity. Pooling resources into a few powerful HPC clusters enables particularly efficient and effective utilization.

With its HPC strategy, the DLR pursues the independent operation of high-performance computing systems as a key technology to support research and development. CARO, operated by the Gesellschaft für wissenschaftliche Datenverarbeitung mbH Göttingen (GWDG), complements CARA as a second site within this infrastructure.

Operating at two locations not only ensures high utilization but also significantly increases reliability. At the same time, this structure allows systems to be interchanged or modernized while the other facility remains fully available.

Technological Renewal

In 2025, the DLR commissioned the Japanese technology group NEC Deutschland GmbH to modernize CARA. This is crucial to meeting the growing demands of modern research. Increasingly complex problems and growing data volumes require ever-higher computing power, while new technologies simultaneously offer greater efficiency and performance. Through this modernization, CARA remains a reliable and future-proof tool and continues to enable the use of innovative applications—from artificial intelligence to highly complex simulations. As part of the upgrade, storage capacity will be increased to around 30 petabytes—effectively doubling the previous capacity. Computing power will also significantly exceed the previous 3.2 quadrillion operations per second.

The DLR is providing approximately 14 million euros for the overall project.

Concentrated expertise at the Dresden site

CARA is operated in close cooperation with the Dresden University of Technology, in particular with the Center for Information Services and High-Performance Computing (ZIH). The necessary infrastructure—including power supply, cooling, and building services—is provided by the Free State of Saxony, represented by the state-owned enterprise Saxony Real Estate and Construction Management.

The data center meets the highest standards for energy efficiency. Innovative water cooling at elevated temperatures achieves a particularly low Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE). Another milestone is the utilization of waste heat: It is used as local heating to heat the office building of the DLR Institute for Software Methods for Product Virtualization, as well as fed into the district heating network of the city of Dresden as district heating.