Key facts
- Schwarz Digits will offer the joint AI computing service through its STACKIT business, which rents computing power and data storage over the internet.
- Bull, the state-owned French maker of Europe's fastest supercomputers, will handle manufacturing under the agreement.
- The two companies plan to design servers for data centers together and could eventually offer SAP business software through the partnership.
- Companies and public bodies using STACKIT will be able to run Bull's software for building and running AI applications directly on the service.
- Schwarz is leading a C$7 billion ($5 billion) funding round for Canadian AI lab Cohere, which is expanding in Europe.
Schwarz Digits, the technology arm of Lidl-owner Schwarz Group, and Bull, the state-owned French maker of Europe's fastest supercomputers, signed a preliminary agreement on November 3 to jointly develop AI computing services that would operate entirely under European jurisdiction.
Under the agreement, Schwarz Digits will offer the service through its STACKIT business, which rents out computing power and data storage over the internet. Bull will handle manufacturing. The two companies plan to design servers filling the data centers together, and said they could eventually offer business software from Germany's SAP through the partnership. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Companies and public bodies using STACKIT will also be able to use Bull's software for building and running AI applications directly on the service. Bull in October doubled production capacity in the only plant in Europe dedicated to building supercomputers.
Schwarz is leading a C$7 billion ($5 billion) funding round for Canadian AI lab Cohere, which is expanding in Europe through the acquisitions of German AI startup Aleph Alpha and Czech-based cybersecurity firm Aisle.