JGU opens New Data Center to the Public

November 7, 2025

On Friday, 7 November 2025, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) opened its new data center to visitors for the first time as part of the national “Open Data Center Day” (Tag der offenen Rechenzentren). Interest was exceptionally high, with all guided tours fully booked within a short time. Around 60 participants from Mainz and the surrounding region joined one-hour tours led by the ZDV infrastructure and HPC team, including technical director Carsten Allendörfer, to learn how the MOGON NHR Süd-West supercomputer operates, how the facility is cooled, and how energy efficiency and sustainability are ensured in daily operations, including a rooftop visit to view the cooling units.

Feedback from attendees was very positive, with participants praising the clear structure and openness for questions. Local media also covered the event, including the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (F.A.Z.) and SWR. The campaign is coordinated by the German Datacenter Association (GDA) and aims to make the often invisible infrastructure behind digital services more tangible under the theme “Where does the Internet live?!”