Monash University unveils AI research supercomputer

Monash University is developing and deploying MAVERIC, in collaboration with NVIDIA, Dell Technologies and the CDC Data Centres (CDC). The advanced AI supercomputer will reportedly use first-in-Australia technology to solve complex problems across a vast span of human endeavours.

Monash University Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Sharon Pickering said the collaboration with leading technology partners is essential in bringing together the expertise needed to strengthen sovereign capabilities right across the research and development pipeline.

“We want our people — Monash academics, students and our research partners — to be at the forefront of shaping the future of AI; not just in how it’s applied, but in unlocking entirely new possibilities and innovations. Our focus is on solving real problems and putting AI to work in a meaningful way — from breakthroughs in cancer detection, to redefining what’s possible in preserving the health of our planet for future generations,” Pickering said.

Featuring the NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 platform, MAVERIC will be purpose-built for large-scale AI and data-intensive workloads. This marks one of the first deployments of this advanced NVIDIA AI infrastructure platform in Australia, placing MAVERIC at the forefront of global AI supercomputing design.

Monash will deploy the NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 architecture through Dell Technologies, which integrates NVIDIA accelerated computing, NVIDIA AI Enterprise software and AI frameworks into its high-performance Dell Integrated Rack Scalable Systems (IRSS), including IR7000 racks with a Dell PowerEdge XE9712 server. Dell’s engineering expertise and integrated solutions will give Monash a robust and efficient platform tailored for AI research at scale, forming a critical foundation for MAVERIC’s advanced computing capabilities.

“For almost two decades, Dell Technologies has collaborated with Monash University on innovative technology solutions that allow research projects to reach their full potential. MAVERIC’s AI capabilities, run on Dell AI Factory with NVIDIA, will allow the university to participate in the fight against some of humanity’s biggest challenges, including disease and environmental science. To do so while boosting Australia’s sovereign AI capabilities is a win for the research community and a win for Australia,” said Angela Fox, SVP and Managing Director ANZ, Dell Technologies.

CDC, a leading developer, owner and operator of secure and connected large-scale data centres in Australia and New Zealand, will house MAVERIC at its data centre in Brooklyn, Melbourne. The GB200 NVL72’s closed-loop liquid-cooling design delivers up to 300× greater water efficiency than traditional air-cooled systems, enabling heat removal without consumptive water use. CDC data centres are designed to operate with no water consumption for primary cooling, which helps save billions of litres of water annually across CDC’S campuses.

“Monash University’s NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 supercomputer marks a new era for Australian research, empowering scientists and innovators to tackle the world’s toughest challenges with unprecedented AI capabilities and energy efficiency,” said Dennis Ang, senior director ASEAN and ANZ Region, NVIDIA.

CDC Founder and CEO Greg Boorer said, “This is a great example of how CDC’s next-generation liquid cooling technology is helping transform the digital infrastructure of the research and education sector. CDC is proud to support the advancement of Australian research through the hosting of Monash University’s supercomputer MAVERIC. This partnership is a significant step forward in our mission to support the nation’s most critical organisations and institutions in driving the continued prosperity of Australia in an environmentally conscious and sustainable way.”

Work to build MAVERIC will commence in 2025 with the platform to be activated in early 2026.

Image credit: iStock.com/Maxiphoto