Colosseum: The supercomputer revolutionizing sovereign AI
3 min read
Colosseum, the supercomputer created by Vertiv, NVIDIA, and iGenius, redefines sovereign AI with a modular design, optimizing digital infrastructure for regulated sectors.
Vertiv (NYSE: VRT) announced its new partnership with NVIDIA and iGenius to develop Colosseum, one of the largest artificial intelligence (AI) supercomputers in the world.
This project, set to launch in 2025 in southern Italy, will give rise to the first sovereign AI data center in Europe, designed to support regulated workloads.
Colosseum: The AI Supercomputer.
Colosseum, equipped with NVIDIA DGX supercomputers and NVIDIA Grace Blackwell superchips, has been designed to meet the needs of highly regulated sectors such as financial services, healthcare, and public administration.
The infrastructure will ensure data sovereignty while delivering unprecedented energy efficiency.
“Colosseum is irrefutable proof of the transformative potential of sovereign AI, leveraging NVIDIA’s advanced accelerated computing and Vertiv’s infrastructure expertise. We are demonstrating how modular systems and software-specific infrastructure enable a new era for mission-critical AI.”
This development is the latest chapter in a collaboration between Vertiv and NVIDIA, combining Vertiv’s expertise in infrastructure management with NVIDIA’s accelerated computing solutions.
Moreover, the modular and scalable design of the facility will allow iGenius to create one of the fastest and largest supercomputers, designed to support sovereign AI.
Innovation in Modular Design.
Vertiv has also expanded its reference design library in its AI Hub, incorporating power and cooling solutions for the NVIDIA GB200 NVL72, developed in collaboration with NVIDIA.
Karsten Winther, Vertiv’s President for the EMEA region, explains:
“The computing unit is no longer limited to the chip; it has transformed into the system, the AI factory. Thanks to our collaboration with NVIDIA and the vision of an AI leader like iGenius, we are demonstrating how to deliver data centers as a computing unit to accelerate the adoption of large-scale AI infrastructure.”
Collaboration for a More Agile Future.
Charlie Boyle, Vice President of DGX Platforms at NVIDIA, remarked:
“AI is changing the way data centers operate. It demands new levels of scale, efficiency, and adaptability for AI factories worldwide.”
He added that digital twin technology and the NVIDIA Omniverse platform, together with Vertiv’s modular design, represent a new way to build supercomputers in the AI era.
Colosseum has been designed as a high-precision digital twin using NVIDIA’s Omniverse technologies. This collaboration has enabled real-time interaction between Vertiv, iGenius, and NVIDIA, streamlining decision-making and reducing the design-to-implementation cycle.
The use of digital twins allows for instant simulations and testing, significantly reducing simulation times and implementation timelines, which can be cut by up to 50% compared to traditional data center construction methods.
Advanced Modular Infrastructure.
The modular infrastructure of Colosseum includes advanced power, cooling, management, monitoring, service, and maintenance solutions, with an initial capacity of up to 132 kW per rack, and the possibility to scale for future developments.
Furthermore, the integration of management technologies like Vertiv™ Unify optimizes the coordination of power, cooling, and computing through the use of digital twins, enhancing operational efficiency and enabling predictive maintenance.
A Model for Future AI Data Centers.
Colosseum is not just a technological breakthrough but also sets a model for building future large-scale sovereign AI factories. Its modular design, combined with local data control and scalability, will transform how data centers are built and operated in the coming years.
This project is not unique; it serves as a replicable model. iGenius plans to expand this infrastructure globally with the support of Vertiv and NVIDIA, utilizing advanced AI platforms like the NVIDIA DGX GB300 and other future systems.
Thus, the future of sovereign AI, once considered a distant concept, is now becoming a reality.
