STAznanost

Ljubljana computer faculty getting state-of-the-art data centre

Ljubljana, 16 January - The Faculty of Computer and Information Science in Ljubljana is set to get a cutting-edge data centre to support advanced AI research, including the creation of a Slovenian large language model. The agreement on the EUR 2.5 million project was signed on Thursday with Slovenian data centre experts NTR Inženiring.

Ljubljana The Faculty of Computer Science and Informatics at the University of Ljubljana will get a new state-of-the-art data centre. 3D visualisation of the modular data centre. Photo: NTR Engineering

Ljubljana
The Faculty of Computer Science and Informatics at the University of Ljubljana will get a new state-of-the-art data centre.
3D visualisation of the modular data centre.
Photo: NTR Engineering

The modular centre will be installed on the faculty's rooftop. Its energy-efficient design incorporates hybrid cooling systems, ensuring the faculty meets growing computational needs for a foreseeable future.

"With the new data centre, our faculty will gain on-site access to a supercomputer, enabling our researchers to perform calculations and train deep neural network models more efficiently," dean Mojca Ciglarič said about the facility, which is expected to be operational within months.

The faculty has been at the forefront of AI research for decades. Over 100 researchers have worked on diverse projects, including machine learning, LLMs, and medical diagnostics. The infrastructure upgrade has been prompted by rising demand from advancements like deep neural networks and AI tools such as ChatGPT.

One key focus will be the PoVeJMo (Let's say it), a project which aims to develop an open-access Slovenian large language model, ensuring independence from global corporations. This model will be trained on billions of words from diverse sources, with the new infrastructure playing a vital role.

NTR Inženiring, which previously developed the supercomputers Vega and Maister, is leading the project. Director Primož Mahorič explained that "this facility integrates various classical and supercomputing technologies while achieving exceptionally high energy density through the combined use of air and direct liquid cooling".

The total investment is valued at EUR 2.5 million, with EUR 870,000 financed by the Research and Innovation Agency and the remainder covered by the faculty.