In a significant boost to Europe's artificial intelligence capabilities, United Arab Emirates tech firm G42 has formalized a partnership with Italian AI startup iGenius to build what they call the "largest AI computing infrastructure in Europe."
The project, named Colosseum, will receive $1 billion in investment over five years, with G42 serving as the main financier of the initial phase. The supercomputer will utilize Nvidia's cutting-edge technology, specifically the GB200 NVL72 machines equipped with Nvidia's Blackwell chips, in a data center to be located in southern Italy. Industry Minister Adolfo Urso indicated there are "strong chances" the facility will be situated in the southeastern Apulia region, citing the area's surplus of renewable energy capacity.
Colosseum represents a strategic advancement in Europe's AI landscape, designed to accelerate the development, training, and deployment of AI applications across key sectors including financial services, manufacturing, and government. The system will house approximately 80 of Nvidia's most powerful servers, each containing 72 Blackwell chips, creating one of the world's largest Nvidia DGX AI supercomputers.
iGenius, founded in 2016 by CEO Uljan Sharka, has established itself as one of Europe's few AI unicorns with a valuation exceeding $1 billion. Unlike competitors such as OpenAI, iGenius develops open-source AI models specifically for highly regulated industries including financial services and government, allowing clients to run these models on their own infrastructure to maintain data security.
The partnership marks a significant milestone in the UAE-Italy economic relationship, forming part of the comprehensive $40 billion investment framework announced during UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's historic state visit to Italy in February 2025. The broader investment plan focuses on strategic sectors including artificial intelligence, data centers, renewable energy, and rare earth minerals.
The Colosseum supercomputer is scheduled to go live this summer, positioning Italy as an emerging hub in Europe's AI ecosystem while strengthening the UAE's global AI footprint through its G42 technology group.