Europe has taken a new step in its efforts to build its own infrastructure for Artificial Intelligence. The joint company EuroHPC JU has signed a contract with HPE to deploy HammerHAI, a new supercomputer optimized for AI that will be installed at the High-Performance Computing Center Stuttgart (HLRS) in Germany. The system is set to become a key component of Europe’s strategy to provide advanced computing capacity to startups, SMEs, industry, and research within the EU.
This is no small project. According to EuroHPC JU and HLRS, HammerHAI will be the first independent supercomputer built within the European AI Factories initiative, specifically geared toward workloads involving Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, and data science. Its delivery is scheduled for the second quarter of 2026, with operational status expected in the second half of 2026.
A system designed for large-scale AI inference
HammerHAI will be manufactured and installed by HPE and will be based on the NVIDIA GB200 NVL4 architecture, featuring liquid cooling. The design will combine NVIDIA Grace CPUs, NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs, and NVIDIA Quantum-X800 InfiniBand networking, with an announced peak performance of over 15 exaflops for AI inference. The system will also integrate VAST Data DASE storage architecture, a partition with accelerators and optimized inference from Dutch company Axelera AI, and the HPE Morpheus Enterprise software as a control plane for provisioning, governance, and lifecycle management of AI workloads.
Beyond the raw figures, HammerHAI aims to bring Europe a cloud-like AI platform experience, but operated within Germany and under European data security and sovereignty regulations. HLRS explains that the system will be especially oriented toward fields such as engineering, manufacturing, automotive, and mobility, sectors where the German and European industrial fabric seek to accelerate AI usage without relying entirely on large external platforms.
Digital sovereignty and access for startups and SMEs
This move aligns with Brussels’ commitment to making supercomputing a lever for AI development in Europe. The initial network of AI Factories, selected in December 2024, included five new AI-optimized supercomputers in Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and Sweden, along with updates to MareNostrum 5 in Spain and an AI factory connected to the DAEDALUS system in Greece. In 2025, the European Commission and EuroHPC expanded this network to include 19 AI Factories across Europe.
In Germany, the AI Factory HammerHAI has been operational since April 2025, leveraging existing infrastructure and offering services such as trial access to AI resources, inference services for large language models, training, and support in ethics and risk management. The new supercomputer will amplify this reach. HLRS further emphasizes that access to this public resource will be free for eligible European users, signaling that the initiative aims not only to build capacity but also to make it accessible to companies and centers that cannot finance this kind of infrastructure on their own.
HPE, for its part, has positioned HammerHAI within its sovereign AI strategy, revealing that the system will be backed by an investment of €55 million, funded by EuroHPC JU, the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, and the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts.
Altogether, HammerHAI is not just a new machine for Stuttgart. It is also a clear signal of Europe’s direction: reducing dependence on external AI technologies, developing more in-house infrastructure, and increasing capacity to put that power into the hands of the real economy, from labs to industrial SMEs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is HammerHAI?
It’s a new AI-optimized supercomputer commissioned by EuroHPC JU to HPE, to be installed at HLRS in Stuttgart. It will be a centerpiece of the AI Factory HammerHAI in Germany.
When will HammerHAI be ready?
Delivery is planned for the second quarter of 2026, with operational deployment in the second half of 2026.
What performance will the new system have?
EuroHPC JU and HLRS state it will deliver over 15 exaflops of peak AI inference performance.
Who will be able to use HammerHAI?
Primarily eligible European startups, SMEs, industry players, and researchers, with free public access according to official project information.