Two international research projects involving RIKEN researchers have advanced as finalists for the 2026 ACM Gordon Bell Prize, as reported by HPCwire. Established in 1987 by the Association for Computing Machinery, the prize honors outstanding achievements in applying large-scale parallel computing to science and engineering.
The selection highlights how combining supercomputing, quantum systems, and artificial intelligence pushes scientific simulations to unprecedented scales. Both projects feature prominent Japanese research participation, bridging multiple global institutions ahead of the winner announcement.
Quantum-Centric Molecular Simulation at Scale
The first finalist project merges quantum and classical computing infrastructure. A collaborative team including the Cleveland Clinic, the RIKEN Center for Computational Science (R-CCS), and IBM deployed a hybrid quantum-centric supercomputing approach.
This architecture successfully simulated a biologically critical molecular system comprising 12,635 atoms. According to the source material, this stands as the largest molecular simulation ever modeled using a quantum computer.
Exascale Supercomputing and AI-Driven Astrophysics
The second finalist team turned its focus to the cosmos. Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Science (iTHEMS), the University of Tokyo, Kobe University, and other partner institutions utilized three separate exascale supercomputers.
📣Press Release【Cleveland Clinic, RIKEN and IBM Team Advance to Finals for 2026 ACM Gordon Bell Prize】#SC26 #GordonBellPrize #quantumComputer🔽For detailshttps://t.co/zdk63c2jcD
The collaboration modeled the Milky Way at an unprecedented resolution. The simulation maps up to 5.4 trillion particles, encompassing stars, gas, and dark matter.
To handle the extreme computational load of stellar evolution, the team integrated artificial intelligence to accelerate supernova calculations. This algorithmic boost allowed researchers to model the galaxy down to the precise scale of individual stars.
The Road to SC26 in Chicago
The ACM Gordon Bell Prize winner will be officially announced at SC26, the International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis. The event runs from November 15 to 20 in Chicago, where the final judgment on these two heavy-duty computational feats will take place.
