Israel has rolled out a national supercomputer to be used by the high-tech industry and academia at reduced cost, the Israel Innovation Authority announced on Sunday.
The program, which is part of the National Program for AI R&D Infrastructure (Telem Program), will allocate computing resources totaling 1,000 Nvidia B200 datacenter accelerators on the backdrop of increasing global GPU (graphics processing unit) demand that is driving up prices and creating long wait times, according to the authority.
Seventy percent of the supply will be allocated to high-tech firms during the AI model training stage, and 30% will be allocated to research groups in basic research stages, the Israel Innovation Authority said.
Private sector companies and academic researchers may now submit requests for access, the government body added.
“The launch of the national supercomputer for use by industry and academia is a key step in strengthening Israel’s R&D infrastructure for artificial intelligence,” said Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority.
“This initiative is designed to enable the development and training of large models in Israel, accelerate industrial and research innovation, and strengthen Israel’s ability to continue leading in the global technological race,” Bin was quoted as saying.
Applications will be submitted for a minimum usage of 16 B200 accelerators for industry and eight accelerators for academia, for periods ranging from one month to half a year, with implementation beginning no earlier than the month following committee approval, the Israel Innovation Authority said.
If demand exceeds supply, applications will be evaluated based on the program’s criteria, including technological innovation, business potential, added value for the applicant, and the applicant’s capabilities, it added.
Alongside the launch of national computing infrastructure, two major programs were launched to expand human capital in the field, according to the authority.
These include a program for transitioning individuals with advanced degrees into AI-related domains, and a program for bringing AI experts from abroad, including returning Israelis, Jews and foreign experts.
