€21.6M supercomputer project in Western Macedonia moves closer to tender

The project represents Greece’s second major investment in national high-performance computing infrastructure, following the Daedalus supercomputer, and forms part of a broader strategy to develop a network of computing facilities for artificial intelligence, research and large-scale data processing.

The draft tender documents for the supply and installation of computing equipment, storage systems and software, published by the National Infrastructures for Research and Technology (GRNET), invite interested companies to submit comments by 31 October.

The contract has a budget of €17.397 million excluding VAT, or €21.572 million including VAT, and will be funded through the Just Transition Development Programme.

The amount covers exclusively the technology equipment and related services, rather than the total cost of developing the data centre, which constitutes a separate construction and energy infrastructure project.

A new data centre in Kozani

The supercomputer is planned to be installed at the new campus of the University of Western Macedonia, within the Zone of Active Urban Planning (ZEP) in Kozani.

According to the plans presented to date, the green data centre will have IT capacity of between 1.2 MW and 1.5 MW, alongside a photovoltaic installation with a capacity exceeding 2 MWp. The combined development of computing and energy infrastructure is linked to Western Macedonia’s transformation strategy following the phase-out of lignite.

For the region, the investment creates opportunities to attract high-technology activities by leveraging the presence of the university, available energy infrastructure and funding under the Just Transition Development Programme.

Construction of the data centre is a critical prerequisite for the supercomputer’s operation, as its requirements for electricity supply, cooling, security and telecommunications connectivity are significantly greater than those of a conventional IT facility.

From Daedalus to a national supercomputing network

The new facility in Kozani is intended to complement Greece’s national Daedalus supercomputer, laying the foundations for two interconnected computing infrastructures.

According to the Region of Western Macedonia, the two facilities are expected to operate in a complementary manner through PHAROS, Greece’s AI Factory, and its connection to the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC) ecosystem.

The Kozani infrastructure will also be integrated into GRNET’s RE-Cloud network, expanding the availability of advanced computing services for universities, research institutions, businesses and public-sector organisations.

The objective is to develop a national computing infrastructure capable of supporting artificial intelligence applications without relying exclusively on commercial cloud computing services provided by overseas operators.

The development of the Kozani supercomputer is part of a broader shift in the use of Western Macedonia’s energy infrastructure. For decades, the region was Greece’s principal centre of lignite-fired electricity generation. It is now seeking to attract investment that combines substantial electricity consumption with high-value-added economic activities.

The public consultation will close on 31 October, after which the tender terms will be finalised and the open procurement procedure launched.