Eni has unveiled its HPC6 and HPC7 supercomputing platforms, the most powerful industrial high-performance computing systems globally, to AI startups and research institutions in Europe. This initiative marks a significant shift in the accessibility of exascale computing resources, coming just ahead of the EU AI Act's new transparency regulations regarding AI-generated content.
The term "exascale" refers to systems capable of performing at least one exaflop, or 1018 operations per second. Eni's HPC7, launched in June 2026, ranks sixth globally and second in Europe, achieving a combined performance with HPC6 of over 1,000 petaflops. This capability is unprecedented for a private company, as prior exascale systems were primarily government-funded.
HPC7 is built on HPE's cutting-edge architecture, featuring AMD MI300A Accelerated Processing Units that integrate CPU and GPU capabilities, allowing for significantly faster data processing without the typical bottlenecks. This design enhances the efficiency of AI training, making it economically viable for large-scale applications.
Eni's commitment to sustainability is evident, as HPC7 ranks 11th globally in energy efficiency, with innovative cooling solutions that minimize environmental impact. The initial partners for this initiative include notable companies from the energy and pharmaceutical sectors, indicating a focus on diverse AI applications, from market simulations to drug discovery. Eni's approach emphasizes "digital sovereignty," providing a secure alternative to major cloud providers, which face scrutiny over data privacy and competition in AI services.