Thematic Intelligence: High-Performance Computing

Thematic Intelligence: High-Performance Computing Summary Supercomputers have existed since the 1960s, but there has been renewed interest in high-performing machines in the last decade following developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and the exponential growth in data. Businesses, governments, and individuals generate huge volumes of data every day, and organizations use high-performance computing (HPC) to store, process, and analyze large, complex workloads to extract value from this data. In the last decade, the commercial use cases for HPC have expanded, supported by improvements in AI, cloud, and data analytics. Key Highlights - Historically, HPC was the remit of academia. The COVID-19 pandemic helped put the spotlight back on HPC as a research resource. Cloud-based HPC has made the technology more accessible for applications like fraud detection and personalized medicine, eliminating the need for costly local data centers. Thanks to the cost-lowering benefits of customizable offerings tailored to specific use cases, alongside workload and performance improvements in HPC’s underlying technology, HPC democratization has the potential to further broaden HPC’s reach. Above all, greater flexibility has made HPC capabilities more accessible to a broader audience. While future quantum computing breakthroughs may revolutionize HPC, it remains the best technology for data processing today. - AI’s growing importance means governments with HPC systems capable of running complex AI systems will have a technological edge. Competition between the US and China for technological supremacy will intensify in the next decade. Regulatory scrutiny, international sanctions, and export controls will increase with the growing number and value of HPC applications, such as complex simulation in bioscience, financial risk management, and geological exploration and drilling. By enhancing cybersecurity, surveillance, and defense technologies, HPC’s role in national security—among other sectors—will continue to stimulate the geopolitical tension that drives market volatility and disrupts supply chains. Scope - This report provides an overview of the high-performance computing (HPC) theme. - It identifies the key trends impacting growth of the theme over the next 12 to 24 months, split into two categories: technology trends and macroeconomic trends. - It includes comprehensive industry analysis, including data on HPC patent filings, M&A deals, and a timeline showing key events in the development of HPC. - The detailed value chain shows comprises four segments: semiconductors, equipment, data center solutions, and end-users. Reasons to Buy - In the last decade, HPC’s commercial use cases have grown, and the technology has become more accessible. This report is an invaluable guide to a theme that is increasing in importance, including identifying the leading companies in semiconductors, equipment, and data center solutions.