High-performance computing (HPC), high-performance data analytics (HPDA), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) pose significant challenges across scientific, societal, economic, and ethical realms. These technologies, including modeling and data analysis, are crucial decision support tools addressing societal issues and competitiveness in French research and development. Digital resources, essential across science and industry, demand high-performance hardware. HPC enables advanced modeling, while HPDA handles heterogeneous and massive data. The solution to exploding demand is the upcoming “exascale” computers, a new generation with extraordinary capabilities.

In this context, the French program Digital for Exascale (NumPEx), funded under the France 2030 Investment Plan and overseen by the CEA, CNRS and Inria, aims at designing and developing the software components that will equip future exascale machines. NumPEx will deliver Exascale-grade numerical methods, softwares, and training, allowing France to remain one of the leaders in the field. It will contribute to take bridging the gap between cutting-edge software development and application domains to prepare the major scientific and industrial application codes to fully exploit the capabilities of these machines. Application domains of the NumPEx program include, but are not limited to, weather forecasting and climate, aeronautics, automotive, astrophysics, high energy physics, material science, energy production and management, biology and health.