A lively discussion with Rebecca Lenhard, MdB, about Energy-Efficient Infrastructures, AI, and Quantum Technologies

Symbolic picture for the article. The link opens the image in a large view. — Image: K. Augustin (NHR@FAU)

2026-03-14

Prof. Gerhard Wellein, Rebecca Lenhard, Prof. Christopher Eichler, and Dr. Thomas Zeiser (f.l.t.r.) Image: K. Augustin (NHR@FAU)

On Thursday, March 12, 2026, the Erlangen National High Performance Computing Center (NHR@FAU) welcomed a Member of the German Bundestag: Rebecca Lenhard came to talk with us about the latest advancements in the fields of energy efficiency, artificial intelligence, and quantum technologies.

Key areas of work and ongoing projects were presented by representatives from NHR@FAU, FAU, and RRZE. A number of facets of the center’s and FAU’s operations in the vital domains of digital sovereignty—HPC, AI, Quantum Computing, and Quantum Communication—were revealed during the visit.

Dr. Hager (Head of Research) presented training and research initiatives, outlining how scientific collaboration and educational programs support researchers. Dr. Veh (Head of Support) then gave a presentation on user support, emphasizing how scientists are helped to make efficient use of high-performance computing resources.

So much hot exhaust air! Image: K. Augustin (NHR@FAU)

Artificial intelligence was another topic of discussion during the visit. The AI Competence Unit, presented by Prof. Köstler (Chair of Computer Science 10, FAU), assists administrative and research units in utilizing AI technologies. Furthermore, H. Wünsch (Head of Communication Systems, RRZE) talked about methods and viewpoints in the field of quantum encryption, while Prof. Eichler (Chair of Experimental Physics, FAU) offered insights into recent advancements in quantum computing.

Following lively conversations, Rebecca Lenhard paid a visit to our GPU clusters “Alex” and “Helma,” where she was able to observe firsthand the advancements our center has made in energy efficiency in recent years. Finally, Prof. Wellein (Director of NHR@FAU) described the “Nordbayerisches Hochleistungsrechenzentrum”, for which the construction has just begun. Key design elements of the new buildings are energy efficiency and energy reuse via the city of Erlangen’s heating system.

We want to express our gratitude to everyone who helped make this interesting event possible, especially FAU Computer Science alumna Rebecca Lenhard.