1986 Baden-Württemberg Prime Minister Lothar Späth approves funding for a Cray 2 supercomputer, establishing Stuttgart‘s reputation as a center for highperformance computing (HPC).

1995 Baden-Württemberg Prime Minister Erwin Teufel and Edzard Reuter, Chairman of the Board at Daimler-Benz AG, establish Höchstleistungsrechner für Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft GmbH (HWW). HWW for the first time ever brings industry and science together in one company for the use of supercomputers, establishes a sustainable business model, and gives Daimler and Porsche direct access to the fastest computers in the world.

1996 Prime Minister Teufel founds the High-Performance Computing Center Stuttgart (HLRS) as Germany‘s first national high-performance computing center. HLRS is a division within the computing center of the University of Stuttgart, and Prof. Rühle is named director. At the founding ceremony, HLRS also announces the beginning of production of a new Cray supercomputer, the 7th fastest system in the world.

1998 HLRS initiates the first European project for metacomputing (METODIS). Its success convinces the EU to create its own funding stream for metacomputing and grid computing, and establishes HLRS as a leading HPC research center at a Europe-wide level.

1999 In partnership with the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (USA), HLRS for the first time connects two supercomputers to solve a simulation problem. In recognition of the achievement, HLRS receives an award from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) for Real Distributed Supercomputing.

2003 · Prof. Rühle steps down as HLRS director and hands leadership over to Prof. Michael Resch.
· HLRS wins the HPC Challenge at the SC Supercomputing Conference in Phoenix, USA.

2005 Baden-Württemberg Prime Minister Günther Oettinger welcomes a new HLRS supercomputer, a NEC SX-8, and opens the center‘s new building on Nobelstraße. For the first time, an HLRS computing system achieves performance at the teraflop scale.

2007 HLRS and supercomputing centers in Munich and Jülich found the Gauss Centre for Supercomputing (GCS). Joining the Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe (PRACE), they begin providing resources to scientists across the EU.
· HLRS launches BW-Grid, financing supercomputers at six locations across Baden-Württemberg.

2008 With the creation of the Automotive Solution Center for Simulation (ASCS), HLRS founds its first Solution Center. This is followed in 2018 with the establishment of the Media Solution Center, and a Medical Solution Center is planned to start operation in 2022.

2010 In cooperation with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, HLRS founds SICOS BW to coordinate operations between the two centers and facilitate access to simulation technologies among small and medium-sized enterprises.

2011 · HLRS‘s power and cooling building begins operation.
· With support of the State of Baden-Würtemberg, HLRS starts Simulated Worlds, an outreach project designed to bring the theme of simulation into schools.

2012 · Baden-Württemberg Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann celebrates the start of operation of a new Cray XE6 supercomputer at HLRS. In the coming years, the system is expanded and renamed Hornet (2014) and Hazel Hen (2015).
· HLRS opens its new Research Building.

2014 HLRS commits itself to sustainability and starts its first state-funded sustainability project.

2015 HLRS creates a working group focusing on the theory of science and the societal relevance of simulation. A state-funded project on these themes begins in 2016.

2017 · The State of Baden-Württemberg and German federal government agree to financing in the amount of 153 million Euros for HLRS for the coming. 10 years under the auspices of the project SiVeGCS.
· HLRS celebrates the opening of its new HPC training building.

2018 · HLRS establishes a sociopolitical advisory board to identify how the center could better address important themes and questions affecting society.
· HLRS assumes leadership of two European Centers of Excellence focused on the engineering sciences (EXCELLERAT) and global systems science (HiDALGO).

2020 · Prime Minister Kretschmann inaugurates HLRS‘s next-generation supercomputer, an HPE Apollo system named Hawk.
· HLRS receives certification under the Blue Angel Ecolabel and the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS).
· HLRS is named coordinating center for EuroCC and CASTIEL projects.
· HLRS produces daily simulations to predict demand for intensive care unit beds resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.