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EuroHPC JU Signs Contract to Deploy AI Supercomputer HammerHAI
The new HammerHAI supercomputer will be manufactured and installed by HPE, based on the liquid-cooled NVIDIA GB200 NVL4 architecture. Combining NVIDIA Grace CPUs with NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs and scaled with NVIDIA Quantum-X800 InfiniBand networking, the NVIDIA GB200 NVL4 by HPE will offer more than 15 Exaflops of peak AI inference performance. It will integrate the VAST Data DASE storage architecture, which provides a unified data platform for AI and HPC workloads, as well as a partition based on AI-optimized inference engines and hardware accelerators from Netherlands-based Axelera AI. The HPE Morpheus Enterprise software will be used as a unified AI control plane, enabling automated provisioning, governance, and workload lifecycle management.
This configuration will make the HammerHAI supercomputer a powerful tool for handling medium- to large-scale AI workloads for machine learning and artificial intelligence. It will incorporate a cloud-native software stack familiar to the AI community, making it straightforward to migrate or scale applications from local systems or commercial cloud environments. The system will be configured to support research and technology development in disciplines prioritized with the HammerHAI consortium, with an emphasis on engineering, manufacturing, automotive and mobility.
Delivery of the HammerHAI supercomputer is scheduled for the second quarter of 2026 and it is expected to go into operation in the second half of 2026.
AI infrastructure for European digital sovereignty
The HammerHAI supercomputer is among the first new AI-optimized systems to be procured within the AI Factories initiative, and marks a further step in the EuroHPC JU’s AI strategy. It will offer a high-performance AI platform capable of supporting the types of applications typically handled by commercial cloud AI services, while being operated in Germany and in accordance with EU data security regulations. Access to this publicly funded resource will be free of charge to eligible European system users.
Anders Jensen, EuroHPC JU Executive Director, stated, “Today’s signature marks a new step toward a vibrant European AI ecosystem. The HammerHAI supercomputer will empower European startups and industry to innovate at scale while reinforcing Europe’s digital sovereignty and technological leadership.”
Petra Olschowski, Minister of Science, Research, and the Arts for the State of Baden-Württemberg, said: “With the HammerHAI AI factory, HLRS and its partners are pooling their resources and expertise along the entire AI value chain in order to drive scientific and economic progress in Baden-Württemberg and beyond. HammerHAI is thus actively shaping our AI landscape while strengthening Europe’s innovative strength and technological sovereignty.”
“The HammerHAI AI factory offers a powerful infrastructure for artificial intelligence in Stuttgart that will benefit both research and industry far beyond HLRS’s innovation ecosystem at the University of Stuttgart. With the new supercomputer, we are setting the course to become a key pillar of the AI ecosystem in Europe,” explains Prof. Peter Middendorf, Rector at the University of Stuttgart.
“HammerHAI will combine sovereign capabilities, energy-savvy infrastructure and expert support to turn industrial data into advantage,” said Damien Déclat, vice president and general manager, HPC & AI, EMEA & LATAM at HPE. “HPE is honored to help drive that mission with an advanced AI-optimized supercomputer, co-designed with NVIDIA for rapid AI deployment and scaling.”
New AI-optimized supercomputer for a growing HammerHAI service portfolio
The AI Factory HammerHAI opened in April 2025, and has already begun offering AI computing and services to European startups and SMEs on existing infrastructure. This includes providing:
- Test access to existing, AI-optimized computing systems currently hosted by HammerHAI consortium partners
- End-to-end support by HammerHAI AI experts, including guidance on relevant tools, services, and expertise
- Access to inference services for large language models
- Professional training courses for AI skills development
- Consulting and AI-adoption support, including AI capability assessments and guidance on AI ethics and risk management
Dr. Bastian Koller, Managing Director of HLRS and lead coordinator of HammerHAI, anticipated that the announcement of the new supercomputer will quickly augment and increase these activities: “The contract signing for this AI-optimized system marks a new chapter in HammerHAI’s development. We invite future users of the system to begin preparing their datasets, algorithms, and workflows now. This will make it possible to begin taking advantage of the system’s powerful new capabilities as soon as it becomes available.” (Companies, startups, and researchers can contact HammerHAI to begin early onboarding of applications.)
While primarily intended for startups and SMEs, the new HammerHAI computing system will also be used to develop new kinds of AI, machine learning, and data science applications within the scientific research community. The EuroHPC JU and HammerHAI (based on a national governance model) will jointly allocate access to computing resources, in proportion to their respective investments.
