Mexico Plans Record-Breaking Supercomputer
Ambitious Project Announced
Mexico has revealed plans to build what it says will be Latin America’s most powerful supercomputer. The system, named “Coatlicue” after the Mexica earth goddess, is intended to vastly expand the country’s computing capacity. Officials explained that the project will help Mexico take advantage of artificial intelligence and advanced data processing. President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed construction will begin next year, though the location has not yet been determined.
Technical Capabilities
José Merino, head of the Telecommunications and Digital Transformation Agency, outlined the scale of the project. Mexico’s current leading supercomputer operates at 2.3 petaflops, capable of one quadrillion operations per second. Coatlicue is expected to reach 314 petaflops, making it seven times more powerful than Brazil’s strongest system. Such capacity would place Mexico at the forefront of regional computing power.
Strategic Importance
Sheinbaum, who has a background in academia and climate science, emphasized the importance of the initiative. She noted that Mexico currently lacks the ability to process large-scale data required for modern AI applications. The new supercomputer is seen as a way to close that gap and strengthen national research capabilities. Officials believe the project will also support innovation across industries reliant on advanced computing.
Globally, supercomputers are measured in petaflops, with the most advanced systems now reaching exascale performance — equivalent to one thousand petaflops. The United States, China, and Japan currently lead in this field, with machines like Frontier in the U.S. surpassing one exaflop. Mexico’s planned system would not reach exascale but would represent a significant leap for Latin America. Analysts suggest that regional investment in high-performance computing could accelerate scientific research and AI development across multiple sectors.
