A prestigious institution based in Melbourne will soon be able to use Australia’s first AI supercomputer for research purposes. Construction will begin this year and it will be up and running within the first few months of 2026.
Monash University has partnered with the local company CDC Data Centres and two international tech giants for the “MAVERIC” project. NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA) (ETR: NVD) will be deploying its state-of-the-art GB200 NVL72 system in the country for the first time while Dell Technologies Inc (NYSE: DELL) (ETR: 12DA) provides high performance servers and racks.
In a nutshell, Dell’s hardware ensures that NVIDIA’s quick and powerful graphics processing units and central processing units run smoothly and efficiently. Together, their technology creates a supercomputer capable of completing the immense workload artificial intelligence tasks require.
NVIDIA provides the specialized AI chips and software while Dell is responsible for the robust hardware and storage setup. Dell’s PowerEdge XE9712 server will be a key feature. NVIDIA’s system features an advanced closed-loop liquid-cooling design that is said to be 300 times more water efficient than conventional air cooling methods.
This advanced supercomputer will be installed in a data centre built by CDC. The leading Australian data centre operator will ensure that it has an adequate uninterrupted power supply with efficacious cooling systems.
“By harnessing AI and the world-leading computing capabilities of NVIDIA, MAVERIC will unlock new possibilities and accelerate life-changing and life-saving research and innovation,” said Monash University’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Sharon Pickering.
The endeavour will prioritize research areas such as cancer detection and medical research, development of pharmaceutical products, and climate modelling.
Australian MP Andrew Charlton, the country’s assistant tech and science minister, was pleased about the news.
“I welcome this collaboration between a great research institution and leading technology companies,” he said in a press release from Monash. “I met with NVIDIA today, and they were excited about the prospect of this tech platform being deployed in Australia for the first time.”
NVIDIA is the most valuable company in the world with a valuation exceeding US$4 trillion. Chief executive Jensen Huang is estimated to be worth US$245 billion alone.
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