In an attempt to accelerate American innovation and leadership in artificial intelligence (AI) and scientific computing, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced two new supercomputers coming to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The systems, named Lux and Discovery, will be powered by AMD technology and mark the debut of a new public-private partnership model designed to deploy advanced computing capabilities faster than ever.

“Winning the AI race requires new and creative partnerships that will bring together the brightest minds and industries American technology and science has to offer,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “That’s why the Trump administration is announcing the first example of a new commonsense approach to computing partnerships with Lux.”

The Lux system is set to be deployed in early 2026. Unlike traditional procurement processes that can take years, Lux will be developed on an accelerated timeline thanks to shared investment between DOE and private industry. The system is designed for immediate impact, with high-performance computing capacity aimed at advancing national priorities like fusion research, advanced manufacturing, materials science, and grid modernization.

Built using AMD Instinct™ MI355X GPUs, EPYC™ CPUs, and Pensando™ networking, Lux represents a flexible and scalable approach to AI infrastructure. According to the DOE, it will provide “a secure, open, and efficient AI software stack to strengthen America’s innovation base and enhance U.S. competitiveness.”

AMD Chair and CEO Dr. Lisa Su emphasized the significance of the collaboration. “We are proud and honored to partner with the U.S. Department of Energy and Secretary Wright to accelerate America’s AI compute infrastructure,” she said. “This partnership exemplifies public-private collaboration at its best.”

The second system, Discovery, is being developed through the DOE’s traditional procurement model and is scheduled to arrive in 2028. It will be built by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and powered by AMD’s next-generation processors and GPUs.

HPE President and CEO Antonio Neri described Discovery as the continuation of a successful legacy. “We are proud to build on our strong U.S. public-private partnership with the Department of Energy, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and AMD that first began when we debuted the Frontier exascale supercomputer and broke a significant computing speed barrier,” he said.

Discovery is expected to exceed the performance of Frontier, currently the world’s second-fastest supercomputer, also housed at ORNL. It will run on the upcoming HPE Cray Supercomputing GX5000 platform, combining AMD EPYC “Venice” CPUs and MI430X GPUs.

“The Discovery system will drive scientific innovation faster and farther than ever before,” said ORNL Laboratory Director Stephen Streiffer. “Oak Ridge’s leadership in supercomputing has transformed how researchers solve problems. With Discovery and Lux, we’re accelerating the pace of Gold Standard Science at a scale that secures America’s leadership in an increasingly competitive world.”

Both systems will help researchers analyze data and train AI models in record time, shrinking discovery cycles from years to weeks. From energy research and cybersecurity to climate modeling and quantum science, these machines are built to tackle today’s biggest scientific challenges.

The DOE emphasized that the new partnership model will allow faster deployment, shared infrastructure, and joint innovation between the public and private sectors, all aimed at maintaining the United States’ competitive edge in technology and science.

With more than $1 billion in public and private investment behind the project, the message is clear: America is building smarter, faster, and with purpose.