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The HANAMI project has released a policy paper defining the key actions required to develop a stable, sustainable cooperation between the European Union (EU) and Japan in high-performance computing (HPC). At a time of intense global competition and growing geopolitical fragmentation, the document outlines the importance of long-term structures and funding programmes to enable both regions to leverage their supercomputing capabilities and accelerate scientific breakthroughs.

 

Europe and Japan are advancing in a competitive global landscape

 

Both the EU and Japan are among the world’s leading HPC regions, each investing in highly developed computing infrastructures. The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking continues to expand Europe’s supercomputers network with AI Factories, future AI Gigafactories, and the integration of quantum technologies. Japan is also developing the successor to its world-leading supercomputer Fugaku and establishing a broad quantum ecosystem.

 

However, as the United States of America (USA) and China accelerate investment in critical technologies and technological infrastructures, the policy paper underlines the importance of value-aligned partnerships. By connecting the best tools with the best experts across borders, it is possible to significantly boost scientific innovation.

 

The EU and Japan already share longstanding ties, which have been reinforced since 2022 with the EU-Japan Digital Partnership, promoting cooperation on critical technologies, such as HPC and quantum, AI, digital connectivity and data flows. Built on that partnership, HANAMI plays a major role in strengthening the ties between the EU and Japan by supporting collaborative research, access to supercomputers and lasting partnership mechanisms.

 

 

Strategic priorities to secure sustainable EU-Japan cooperation

 

The policy paper outlines three priority areas needed to build a stable and long-term alliance between Europe and Japan.

 

 

Finalising Japan’s association to the Horizon Europe (HE) funding programme

The paper calls for Japan’s HE membership as an associated partner, which would create an efficient and unified framework for joint research and innovation initiatives. This recommendation is already promoted by HANAMI project, aiming to remove barriers and promote structured, multilateral EU-Japan collaboration between institutions.

 

Enabling mutual access to supercomputing resources

Cross-regional access to a wider range of HPC infrastructures is essential to accelerate scientific progress. This recommendation reinforces HANAMI’s commitment to assist researchers from both regions in accessing EuroHPC and Japanese systems, particularly in areas such as climate and weather modelling, materials science and biomedical science.

 

Ensuring long-term support for concrete cooperation activities

Mutual funding for researcher and engineer mobility, joint workshops, events and training programmes is essential to build long-lasting relationships. Supporting these activities is central to HANAMI’s mission to foster a sustainable framework for EU-Japan collaboration.

 

 

How these actions strengthen EU-Japan collaboration

 

Together, the recommendations aim to support a long-term scientific cooperation between the EU and Japan and maximise the impact of public investment in advanced computing. By aligning efforts and providing stable cooperation programmes, both regions can advance in climate science, materials research, and biomedical science.

 

The EU-Japan collaboration also promotes the preparation of a new generation of HPC experts with multicultural experience and a collaborative mindset.

 

To support this plan, HANAMI project is bringing together research organisations, research-supporting organisations, industrial partners, funders, and policymakers from both regions to ensure a cohesive approach to EU–Japan HPC collaboration.