Italy has significantly expanded its high-performance computing capabilities with the inauguration of five new systems, LISA, MARCO POLO, GAIA, NOX, and SOL, at the CINECA headquarters in Bologna. The €49 million investment, drawn from both the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, establishes a platform designed to integrate HPC, Cloud, and Quantum Computing, bolstering the nation’s autonomy in big data management. These systems will strengthen Italy’s capacity to manage the entire data lifecycle, from collection to advanced analysis utilizing artificial intelligence and quantum technologies. Antonio Zoccoli, President of the ICSC National Centre and of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics, stated that thanks to the strategic vision of the MUR and PNRR investments, Italy can rely on the first permanent integrated platform combining HPC, Cloud and quantum computing, adding that the resource is of fundamental importance for Europe’s autonomy in the management and control of big data.
ICSC Inauguration Expands Italy’s HPC and Data Infrastructure
This integration aims to establish a national capability for managing the complete data lifecycle, encompassing collection, storage, advanced analysis via artificial intelligence, and the application of quantum technologies. Among the newly operational systems, LISA is an upgrade to the existing Leonardo supercomputer, co-funded by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and the MUR, and developed by Bull to accelerate AI models. GAIA, created by E4 Computer Engineering, is designed to facilitate national-scale HPC cloud management, offering a crucial tool for the digital transformation of research, industry, and public administration. These systems are also central to the IT4LIA program, contributing to the infrastructure that secured Italy’s position as a host for one of the first European AI Factories.
Thanks to the strategic vision of the MUR and PNRR investments, Italy can rely on the first permanent integrated platform combining HPC, Cloud and quantum computing, capable of strengthening digital sovereignty and supporting the competitiveness of the entire national system.
Antonio Zoccoli, President of the ICSC National Centre and of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN)
LISA and GAIA Support AI and Cloud Integration
Italy’s newly inaugurated high-performance computing infrastructure extends beyond processing power, actively integrating artificial intelligence and cloud technologies to bolster national data autonomy. Central to this effort are the LISA and GAIA systems, each designed with specific roles within the ICSC-coordinated national network. Developed by Bull, it is engineered to support models, including large language and multimodal AI, positioning Italy with advanced computing capabilities in this rapidly evolving field. Complementing LISA is GAIA, a system developed by E4 Computer Engineering specifically for national-scale HPC cloud management. The combined capabilities of these systems aim to manage the complete data lifecycle, from initial collection and storage through advanced analysis leveraging both artificial intelligence and emerging quantum technologies.
LISA is developed by Bull and is designed to support next-generation models, from large language models to multimodal AI, providing research and industry with one of the most advanced computing capabilities in Europe.
NOX and SOL Advance Quantum Computing Technologies
NOX, a superconducting quantum computer, is designed to function with existing HPC infrastructure, promising advancements in fields like optimization, simulation, and machine learning; it represents an effort to bridge the gap between classical and quantum processing paradigms. Complementing this approach is SOL, a quantum system based on neutral atoms developed by Pasqal in collaboration with CINECA and an international consortium under the EuroHPC European programme. These quantum systems are integral to a broader national strategy.
NOX is a superconducting quantum computer designed to operate in synergy with existing HPC infrastructures, enabling advanced applications in optimisation, simulation and machine learning.
