Together with the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO) and world-leading AI computing company NVIDIA, the Novo Nordisk Foundation has established the Danish Centre for AI Innovation (DCAI). In October 2024, the centre launched Gefion, Denmark’s first AI ready supercomputer.
Using Gefion, researchers from Denmark’s public and private sectors can access a state-of-the-art NVIDIA AI supercomputer optimised for large-scale projects using AI, as well as world-leading NVIDIA software platforms, training and expertise. Gefion will accelerate research and innovation in fields from healthcare and life sciences to the green transition, supporting the development of innovative solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems.
Gefion, Denmark’s new supercomputer, is a large-scale NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD powered by 1.528 NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs and interconnected using NVIDIA Quantum-2 InfiniBand networking.
The supercomputer and collaboration with NVIDIA will help enable Denmark to pursue large-scale projects in many fields where AI is a valuable tool, as well as within AI research itself. In selected flagship project areas, researchers will be able to engage with expert teams at NVIDIA to co-develop solutions to complex problems. These areas include research in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, including protein design; the acceleration of the green transition; and the development of fault-tolerant (i.e. error-free) quantum computing.
Eviden, an Atos Group company and European leader in advanced computing has delivered, installed and configured the supercomputer, which is hosted by global data centre provider Digital Realty in one of its AI-ready facilities in Denmark. The data centre is designed and built to be sustainable and runs on 100% renewable energy.
The Danish Centre for AI Innovation A/S is a public limited company that owns and operates the supercomputer, with all revenue reinvested in the initiative. EIFO is a minority owner, holding 15% of the shares, while the Novo Nordisk Foundation holds 85%. In August 2024, the Foundation and EIFO announced that Nadia Carlsten had been appointed as CEO of DCAI.
Gefion will have the highest level of security and support Danish data sovereignty and will therefore be able to support projects involving sensitive data. No data will be stored permanently in the centre, and the centre’s users will always be in full control of their data.
In October 2024, six projects were selected for Gefion’s pilot phase. Differential payment models are being developed that will balance commercial and academic use with the aim of meeting the centre’s current and future costs.