Eviden and AMD selected to deliver Alice Recoque, France’s first exascale supercomputer
Eviden, the Atos Group product brand for advanced computing and AI hardware and software, and AMD have been selected to build Alice Recoque, a new exascale supercomputer for France.
The system will be hosted at CEA’s Very Large Computing Center (TGCC) and is part of AI Factory France, with a total project cost of 554 million euros over five years funded by EuroHPC JU and the Jules Verne consortium.
French Minister for Higher Education, Research and Space Philippe Baptiste links the installation directly to national and European strategy:
“The selection of Eviden to build Alice Recoque, Europe’s new exascale supercomputer, is a major step forward for France and Europe. This project embodies our shared ambition in the field of high-performance computing, AI, and quantum technologies, while reinforcing our technological leadership. Hosted at CEA’s TGCC, Alice Recoque will empower researchers and industries to address critical challenges—from climate modeling to healthcare innovation. It is a cornerstone for what we will achieve together, for science, progress, and the French and European digital future.”
The system is expected to deliver peak performance of one exaflop for double-precision workloads, with the operator targeting a fiftyfold increase in TGCC computing capacity while only multiplying electrical power use by five.
System design centers on Eviden BullSequana and AMD accelerators
Alice Recoque will use Eviden’s BullSequana XH3500 architecture, with an accelerated partition powered by next-generation AMD EPYC CPUs, AMD Instinct MI430X GPUs from the MI400 Series, and AMD FPGAs. A scalar compute partition based on the European Rhea2 processor from SiPearl adds a local chip design element to the build. The system will be connected by Eviden’s BXIv3 interconnect and use storage technology from DDN.
French Minister of State for AI and Digital Affairs Anne Le Hénanff places the project within a broader sovereignty agenda:
“On the occasion of the Summit on Digital Sovereignty on the 18th of November, we reaffirm with other European member states our ambition: to strengthen our European digital champions. The selection of Eviden to equip the Alice Recoque supercomputer is a concrete example of Europe acting collectively to make digital sovereignty a reality. Alice Recoque will become a key pillar for the future of quantum computing and artificial intelligence. It is a source of pride to see French companies play a central role in this advancement.”
Eviden positions Alice Recoque as an AI and HPC platform for climate modeling, healthcare, materials science and foundational AI models. Emmanuel Le Roux, group SVP and global head of advanced computing and AI at Eviden, says:
“Alice Recoque represents another critical step toward Europe’s digital future, defined by a sovereignty, sustainability and scientific excellence. As a catalyst for scientific and industrial breakthroughs, from climate modeling and healthcare to advanced materials and AI innovation, it will empower researchers and industries across Europe.
“Born from a shared European vision, this AI Factory reflects on what we can achieve collectively toward a common goal. Eviden is fully dedicated to its success, bringing deep expertise, a collaborative spirit, and a long-term dedication to responsible technological leadership.”
CEA, which will host and operate the system, also highlighted the scale of the deployment and the role of European technology. Anne-Isabelle Etienvre, General Administrator of the CEA, says:
“As a key player in supercomputing, CEA and its teams are ready, eager and proud to host and operate the Alice Recoque exascale supercomputer at TGCC. This is a strong recognition of our expertise in building major research infrastructures and of our teams skills throughout the value chain. The CEA welcomes EuroHPC's selection of a machine integrating numerous European technological and software components for this project, including Eviden's BXI network and SiPearl's Rhea2 processor, which have long been supported by the CEA.
“We congratulate Eviden on winning the tender for this new European Flagship for research. Europe is thereby demonstrating its unity and reaffirming its leadership in the field of HPC and AI, a strategy that is in line with the CEA's vision.”
European partners tie Alice Recoque to AI, HPC and sovereignty goals
The project brings together GENCI, CEA, SURF in the Netherlands and GRNET in Greece, alongside EuroHPC JU. Partners are positioning Alice Recoque as a shared European resource for research and industry, with a focus on sovereignty and long-term capacity building.
Greece’s Minister of Digital Governance Dimitris Papastergiou connects the system to the country’s National AI Strategy. Dimitris Papastergiou says:
“Europe’s experience shows that technological sovereignty is achieved through cooperation and long-term vision. Greece’s participation in the Alice Recoque supercomputer project reflects our commitment to a strong, competitive European tech ecosystem and aligns with our National AI Strategy implemented under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
“Alice Recoque opens new opportunities for collaboration and innovation, giving Greek startups, researchers, and academic institutions access to cutting-edge tools and positioning Greece at the forefront of global AI developments.”
EuroHPC JU Executive Director Anders Jensen also pointed to the wider exascale roadmap:
“As Europe has officially entered the exascale era, I am delighted to soon welcome Alice Recoque to our EuroHPC fleet. This groundbreaking exascale supercomputer, powered by pioneering European technologies, will elevate scientific discovery, industrial innovation, and technological sovereignty to the next level, while ensuring exceptional energy efficiency.”
GENCI, which leads the Jules Verne consortium, framed the machine as a step toward hybrid HPC-AI-quantum environments. Philippe Lavocat, CEO of GENCI, says:
“In the global race to harness computing power as the engine of scientific discovery and innovation, EuroHPC’s decision to select Eviden and embrace sovereign technologies for the Alice Recoque Exascale supercomputer marks a defining milestone for Europe and France. Building on a collaborative journey that began three years ago, GENCI and all members of the Jules Verne consortium are extremely proud in their pivotal role in bringing this groundbreaking Exascale system to life—a true game changer for research and industry.
“By paving the path toward post-Exascale services, Alice Recoque will propel Europe ‘Beyond HPC,’ federating high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and quantum technologies to empower science, accelerate innovation, and strengthen our technological sovereignty and global competitiveness.”
On the industry side, AMD is positioning its role in Alice Recoque within a broader push around AI and HPC infrastructure. Dan McNamara, senior vice president for compute and enterprise AI at AMD, says:
“We are committed to enabling the next generation of innovation across AI and HPC. The Alice Recoque supercomputer represents a major step forward for European sovereign AI, uniting national ambition, regional collaboration, and AMD’s high-performance and AI compute technologies. Through our continued collaboration with EuroHPC JU, the Jules Verne Consortium, and Eviden, we are proud to support Europe’s scientific and industrial leadership with a platform purpose-built for scale, efficiency and discovery.”
