Equinix Hosts HPC Supercomputer For AI Innovation in Germany

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany has launched a high-performance computing platform designed to accelerate research across its life science, healthcare and electronics divisions. 

Built on Lenovo ThinkSystem servers and hosted within an Equinix AI-ready data centre in Germany, the system combines liquid cooling with a hybrid cloud architecture to support data-intensive modelling and AI workloads.

Laura Matz, Chief Science and Technology Officer at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, says: “At Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, we believe that data and technology are the cornerstones of scientific progress. 

“With this high-performance computer, we are enhancing our computational capabilities and transforming how we conduct research and develop solutions that matter. This platform empowers our teams to leverage AI and advanced analytics more effectively, ultimately accelerating the pace of innovation across our sectors.”

Data centre platform for high-density research computing

The HPC launch highlights the growing reliance of scientific organisations on facilities engineered for AI-scale compute. 

Equinix’s German site provides the high-density power and cooling required for the Lenovo Neptune liquid-cooled systems, which are designed to reduce energy use and support heavily loaded clusters operating at sustained performance levels.

By deploying the system within an Equinix International Business Exchange data centre, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany gains access to a colocation environment with existing liquid cooling capabilities and low-latency connectivity to cloud services and partners.

The design is intended to support workloads ranging from generative AI and molecular modelling to semiconductor materials research, linking multiple research teams through a unified infrastructure.

The platform combines private and public cloud resources, allowing Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany to scale compute capacity for peak demand while preserving control over sensitive research data. The company plans to use the HPC system to accelerate drug discovery workflows, improve development cycles in life science manufacturing and model new materials for next-generation semiconductor devices.

Lenovo delivers liquid-cooled compute for scientific workloads

Lenovo has supplied the core hardware for the HPC platform and integrated its Neptune liquid cooling technology to improve operational efficiency. The system is designed to support sustained high utilisation while lowering the energy footprint of compute-intensive research.

Andreas Thomasch, Director & Chief Technology Officer, Germany and Austria at Lenovo, says: “At Lenovo, we are committed to enabling the global adoption of innovative and sustainable technologies. 

“By designing and configuring this solution together, we've demonstrated that organisations can achieve exceptional performance without compromising on sustainability. With Lenovo Neptune Liquid Cooling, even the most demanding workloads will run efficiently while helping Merck drive progress in both science and industry.”

The adoption of liquid cooling is particularly relevant as AI workloads increase rack-level power density. Equinix reports that more than 100 of its sites now support liquid cooling, reflecting demand for infrastructure that can host large GPU clusters and other high-performance systems.

Equinix provides the digital foundation

Equinix’s role extends beyond hosting the hardware. The company positions its facilities as hubs for distributed AI infrastructure, enabling organisations to interconnect private systems with public cloud AI services, research partners and data sources.

Harmeen Mehta, Chief Digital and Innovation Officer at Equinix, says: “This partnership embodies what the future of innovation looks like – where digital infrastructure, compute and science converge to solve humanity's biggest challenges. 

“At Equinix, we are proud to power that convergence. Together with Merck and Lenovo, we are proving that when technology scales responsibly, innovation doesn't just accelerate—it can transform industries and redefine what's possible.”

Equinix’s German data centre also supports energy-efficient operation through liquid cooling and offers the connectivity needed to move large research datasets between environments. 

For Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, this foundation enables the company to run complex simulations and AI models with consistent performance while aligning operations with its ESG commitments.