Nvidia supercomputer marks ‘new era' for Australian AI
The supercomputer, dubbed MAVERIC and built in collaboration with CDC Data Centres, will be purpose-built for large-scale AI and data-intensive workloads and feature technology never before deployed in the country.
MAVERIC will be housed at CDC's facility in the Melbourne suburb of Brooklyn, with construction to begin later this year. The system is expected to go live in early 2026, and was the subject of a meeting between Australia's ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd, Assistant Minister for Science Andrew Charlton and Nvidia executives on Wednesday morning.
'Without this kind of AI super-computer power, Australian researchers are trying to compete on the world stage with one arm tied behind their back,' Monash University vice-chancellor Sharon Pickering said in an interview.
'We are making a $60 million investment here so that Australia can be world leaders, and not just be willing to take second place. We have to be willing to be the best in the world and for our world-leading researchers; my job is to get them the best infrastructure in the world to support them.'
MAVERIC will initially focus on advancing medical research, Pickering said, including developing new pharmaceutical products and personalising treatments for patients suffering from acute medical conditions. It will also focus on environmental issues including a study of the Antarctic and research into the impact of heat on populations. It will be available to university researchers and academics, students and research partners.
The supercomputer will be built using Dell racks and servers and feature Nvidia's GB200 NVL72 platform. Amid debate about Australia's role in the global AI arms race, Dell Australia managing director Angela Fox said that MAVERIC represented a 'leapfrogging' opportunity for the nation in its AI capabilities.
'It allows researchers to use increasingly sophisticated AI models to tackle some of Australia and the world's most pressing issues and will deliver lasting value for the nation,' she said. 'It's a massive win for the research community and for Australia as a whole.'
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