New supercomputer to boost Danish AI-research

The recently launched AI-supercomputer Gefion is Denmark’s first GPU-accelerated supercomputer. The aim of the powerful computing facility is to give a boost to the country’s thriving AI research community. Not least at Innovation District Copenhagen-partner University of Copenhagen.

Blisteringly fast Artificial Intelligence computing

Gefion is an NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD AI supercomputer powered by 1,528 NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs and connected using NVIDIA Quantum-2 InfiniBand networking. This setup will make artificial intelligence- programming such as deep learning and generative AI models run blisteringly fast. The supercomputer was inaugurated 23rd October 2024 in attendance of his Royal Highness King Frederic X of Denmark and will be used to accelerate innovation in a wide range of areas.

Denmark has understood that if you want to use AI – the most ground-breaking technology of our time – to drive innovation, then you have to create your own AI infrastructure and a local AI ecosystem. Gefion will give Danish researchers a huge boost with local AI computer infrastructure, which can drive progress in life science, climate research and quantum computing”: Jensen Huang, founder and CEO, NVIDIA.

Public private partnership

Gefion is the result of a public-private collaboration between the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Denmark’s Export and Investment Fund (EIFO). The Novo Nordisk Foundation has allocated approx. 600 million DKK to the centre’s start-up costs, while EIFO has contributed DKK 100 million DKK Together the two have founded the company DCAI, which owns and operates Gefion.

The establishment of Gefion is a milestone that fits in very well with the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s vision of improving people’s health and the sustainability of society and the planet. The computer creates new opportunities and can put an additional turbo on our work to find new solutions to pressing societal challenges. In the future, we must cultivate even more relationships with skilled partners from all over the world, if we are to be able to solve together the enormous challenges that not only our own countries, but the entire globe, are facing.” Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, CEO, Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Part of a strategic national focus on deep tech

Denmark’s Export and Investment Fund (EIFO) has invested massively in deep tech, and the collaboration with the Novo Nordisk Foundation on DCAI is part of a strategic focus on AI, quantum computers, green transition, life science and commercialization of research.

Denmark is already an important player in AI and quantum technology, and we believe that with Gefion we will significantly expand our position. Our investment in DCAI is to support Danish companies within e.g. green transition, life science and commercialization of research. Our ambition is to promote a value-creating deep tech ecosystem that is at the forefront of development”: Peder Lundquist, CEO, EIFO.

New abilities to develop solutions to complex problems

The supercomputer and the collaboration with NVIDIA will enable Denmark to carry out projects on a large scale within any area where AI is a valuable tool, as well as within research into AI itself. With the new computing infrastructure, Danish researchers from industry and academia will be able to develop solutions to complex problems. For example, within protein design and quantum computer-development.

Gefion gives Danish companies and Danish business life completely new opportunities. The supercomputer provides renewed strength to drive the green transition, tailor new solutions and strengthen our companies’ competitiveness on the global market. In a time of intensified international competition, Gefion will play a decisive role in promoting Danish companies. In other words, it is a ground-breaking technology on Danish soil that marks the beginning of new solutions to the challenges of the future”: Morten Bødskov, Minister, Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs.

Three out of six pilot-programmes in Innovation District Copenhagen

Gefion launches with six pilot projects. Innovation District Copenhagen-partner University of Copenhagen will carry out three of these.

• “Large-scale distributed simulation of quantum algorithms for quantifying molecular recognition processes.” Developing programming for future quantum computers to analyse complex biological processes.- University of Copenhagen.
• “Multimodal genomic foundation model”. Training an AI model to analyse genetic mutations in the aid of designing vaccines. University of Copenhagen with DTU.
• “Building an AI Care Companion with Large Video Pretraining”. Training an AI model to make real-time predictions of patient behaviour at hospitals and nursing homes in order to prevent accidents. University of Copenhagen with private company Teton and Pioneer Centre for AI.