Hewlett Packard Enterprise and NVIDIA have announced the launch of Europe’s first AI Factory Lab in Grenoble, France, marking a significant milestone in sovereign AI development. This groundbreaking facility will enable customers worldwide to test and validate their AI infrastructure in a secure, air-cooled environment equipped with cutting-edge technology. The lab represents a strategic response to growing European demands for data sovereignty and regulatory compliance in artificial intelligence deployments.
Grenoble facility addresses European sovereignty requirements
The new AI Factory Lab, which has been opened at Grenoble, has the latest NVIDIA AI Enterprise software, which is government-ready, along with HPE servers and high-speed networking. This fully integrated solution is comprised of NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet networking, HPE Alletra high-performance storage, and HPE Juniper Networking PTX and MX Series routers. The solution has been designed to cater to European companies that want to control their AI data and operations inside the EU.
European companies are also placing greater importance on data and operational sovereignty due to stricter regulations regarding the implementation of AI. The Grenoble lab serves as a proving ground so that companies can test their AI workloads and also ensure compliance with regional regulations and data protection laws. In essence, the solution enables companies to explore the possibilities of AI without undermining their support for the European concept of data sovereignty.
Improved networking capabilities enable optimal AI factory performance
HPE’s AI factory networking products are built on the NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet Networking Platform along with the NVIDIA BlueField-3 Data Processing Units, which provide high-scale, secure, and low-latency interconnections between datacenters, cloud, and various components of the AI infrastructure. The interconnections also support connectivity over long distances and across various cloud ecosystems.
The integration of HPE Juniper Networks MX and PTX high-performance routers gives the lab greater capabilities to support the complexities associated with various AI-related workloads. The provided networking solution is capable of meeting the tough requirements associated with new AI applications, along with sustaining the required standards of enterprise-class security and performance.
Key lab components:
- NVIDIA AI Enterprise government-ready software
- HPE servers equipped with advanced cooling technology
- NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet Networking
- HPE Alletra Storage Solutions
- HPE Juniper Networking routing platforms
Partnership expands with security and storage innovations
HPE has partnered with CrowdStrike to select the best-in-class security solution to cater to the needs of HPE Private Cloud AI customers. They aim to secure the entire hybrid infrastructure, including endpoints, identities, the cloud, and data. This new partnership is an extension of earlier collaborations to secure end-to-end AI innovation, such as the joint utilization of large language models and NVIDIA technology.
The HPE Private Cloud AI capabilities have been updated to include the STIG-hardened and FIPS-enabled NVIDIA AI Enterprise software. These are designed to work on air-gapped systems. All the new and updated HPE AI capabilities are now integrated into the HPE Pointnext services. The launch also comprises HPE Alletra Storage MP X10000 Data Intelligence Nodes, which aim to turn storage systems into active layers of data by providing inline intelligence.
“It is equipped with the latest NVIDIA AI Enterprise government-ready software, HPE servers, HPE Juniper Networking PTX and MX Series routers, NVIDIA accelerated computing, NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet networking, and HPE Alletra storage.”
The Grenoble AI Factory Lab also marks a turning point in the European AI ecosystem, equipping companies with what it takes to develop self-sufficient AI. With the Labs set to go into operation in Q2 2026, customers can utilize end-to-end AI stacks and, at the same time, can also ensure that European regulatory norms are met. HPE, along with NVIDIA, is at the forefront of companies working to resolve the specific challenges faced by the European market in adopting AI.
