The University of Southern Denmark, in collaboration with Danfoss and HPE, is bringing a new national AI supercomputer online, enabling Danish universities to handle large data volumes and advanced AI models within a single shared infrastructure. At the same time, the project demonstrates a new model for how AI infrastructure can be built more energy-efficiently at global scale by integrating data centers into energy systems and reusing waste heat.
In a partnership, the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), Danfoss, and HPE have combined research expertise, industrial decarbonization leadership, and data center technology to establish a new supercomputer.
The system will be used for research and teaching within artificial intelligence, data analytics, and advanced computing across academic disciplines. It will be available to researchers and students at universities throughout Denmark, enabling work on larger and more complex challenges within a single shared infrastructure.
At the same time, the supercomputer strengthens innovation ecosystems around Danish universities. Startups and spin-out companies will gain access to advanced AI and data analytics, providing improved opportunities to rapidly develop, test, and scale new solutions, products, and services.
“Digital infrastructure is a strategic resource for both research and education. Researchers and students now have much better opportunities to work with larger datasets and more advanced models across institutions than has previously been practically possible in a shared Danish infrastructure. This creates a stronger foundation for research, talent development, and collaboration, which is crucial for both scientific quality and societal value,” said Professor Claudio Pica, Director of the SDU eScience Center.
The facility was inaugurated at Alsion in Sønderborg, Denmark, and is from today part of the national research infrastructure. Access is provided through the research platform UCloud, developed in collaboration between SDU, Aalborg University, and Aarhus University. UCloud currently has more than 23,000 users and is among the largest research cloud platforms in Europe and globally. UCloud is a European, sovereign solution in which data, software, and computations remain under national and European control — a key consideration at a time of increasing focus on digital sovereignty.
A key element of the project is its integration with the local energy system. The supercomputer uses advanced liquid cooling with full heat recovery. Waste heat is reused as part of Sønderborg Municipality’s ambition to create a fully CO₂ neutral energy system.
In Denmark, we have a unique strength in bringing together research communities, industry players, and technology providers around shared solutions. Here, we have created a unique supercomputing solution that contributes positively across several areas: it delivers both high computational power and acts as an active part of the energy system. This makes it possible to work with data volumes and AI models at the scale required to develop and deploy advanced artificial intelligence not only in Denmark but also internationally. At the same time, it ensures the energy from the supercomputer is reused in the local heating system, contributing to more energy efficient operations. Ultimately, this serves as inspiration, demonstrating that sustainability, technological development, and commercially attractive initiatives can go hand in hand.
HPE is the technology partner that supplied the underlying infrastructure to the supercomputer. Carsten Nielsen, Vice President and Managing Director for the Nordic Cluster at HPE, said:
“HPE is proud to collaborate with the University of Southern Denmark and Danfoss in establishing AI and supercomputing infrastructure for Danish research. This project demonstrates what becomes possible when research, industry, and technology providers work together with a shared ambition. This new system is among the most advanced in Denmark for generative AI workloads and represents a significant technological upgrade of the national AI infrastructure. We look forward to the scientific results that Danish researchers will achieve using this new platform.”
The supercomputer has been named Bitten, after Bitten Clausen, who played a major role in Danfoss’ early development and was among the first female chairpersons in European industry. The name reflects the values behind the system: vision, responsibility, and the courage to break new ground.
The name also reflects the supercomputer’s strong Danish roots and the ambition to promote greater diversity within technology and research environments, where women remain underrepresented.