More computing power, more jobs? Denmark boosts its AI supercomputer
The 500 million DKK (€67 million) investment in Denmark’s AI supercomputer could help create businesses and jobs and enable public institutions to use AI securely, according to Tuesday’s announcement.
Denmark is allocating an additional 500 million DKK (€66.9 million) to bolster one of the world's most potent supercomputers, Gefion, operated by the Danish Centre for AI Innovation (DCAI). The funding, announced on Tuesday, is spearheaded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, with the Danish Centre for AI Innovation managing the facility.
The exact allocation of funds and timeline for the enhanced capacity have not been disclosed yet. Gefion, initially introduced in 2024 with 1,528 Nvidia chips, is now nearing full utilization. The new investment complements the initial 700 million DKK (€93.8 million) funding from Denmark's state investment fund and the Novo Nordisk Foundation, which is the entity behind the pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk.
The primary goal is to convert increased computing power into economic development. Martin Lidegaard, Denmark’s minister for business and competitiveness, highlighted that this investment would enable Danish companies and researchers to convert innovative concepts into practical solutions, companies, and jobs. Additionally, it aims to enhance Denmark's competitiveness and ensure that the technological advancements remain under Danish control.
Netcompany, a Danish technology firm specializing in public-sector IT systems, including NHS England in the UK, has joined the DCAI's investors. This entity will contribute software for managing data access, monitoring, and security within the system.
This move aligns with Europe's broader strategy to secure greater control over the AI infrastructure and companies. The UK recently invested £225 million (€269 million) in a supercomputer dedicated to AI research in 2023. Finland is also involved through its Large Unified Modern Infrastructure (LUMI) supercomputer, which is jointly funded by the EU and various countries, with a lifetime cost exceeding €200 million.
In July, the European Commission initiated a call for up to seven AI gigafactories, large data centers designed to train and run advanced AI models, with a potential investment of up to €10 billion from the EU and national governments. Denmark's minister for research, education, and digitalisation, Christina Egelund, emphasized the importance of Europe's independence in technology development to ensure it can regulate and create technology grounded in democratic values.
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