A quiet revolution is currently unfolding at the Malta Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA), where the recently launched high-performance computer (HPC) is opening unprecedented possibilities for researchers, innovators, and start-ups.

The €1.5 million investment, co-funded through EU funds under the Digital Europe Programme 2021–27, marks a defining moment in Malta’s digital journey, offering unprecedented access to one of the most powerful computing infrastructures on the island.

The initiative is championed by Dr Jean Marie Mifsud, Chief Innovative Technology Officer at MDIA and her team.

“The new High-Performance Computer represents a bold step towards democratising access to advanced technology. Our aim is to make high-end computing accessible to those with ideas worth exploring, and who would otherwise find it incredibly hard to obtain access to such an infrastructure. Whether a start-up training an AI model or a researcher pursuing a breakthrough, the HPC will no doubt continue to add to the arsenal of tools at the disposal of those engaging in research and development,” Dr Mifsud explains.

The HPC forms part of the vibrant DiHubMT community, a thriving ecosystem run by the MDIA. In fact, DiHubMT is home to four specialised laboratories, offering essential equipment to start-ups and researchers developing new innovative solutions, including an Internet of Things (IoT) lab equipped with precision testing and measurement instruments, a 3D-printing lab, a podcast studio, and now, the island’s first openly available HPC.

Together, they form a complete chain of development, enabling innovators to design, prototype, and test their products under one roof, all the way from concept to minimum viable product.

Asked to elaborate further, Dr Mifsud explains how the new HPC is a powerful GPU-based machine with eight NVIDIA H100 GPUs, each capable of performing trillions of floating-point operations per second. Unlike personal computers which consist of a small number of cores (typically between eight and 24 cores) capable of handling multiple number of threads in parallel (typically up to 32 threads), the HPC has three computer nodes and one GPU node resulting in 304 cores and over 110,000 CUDA or 4000 Tensor Core. This in simple terms means that the HPC is designed to compute massive parallel computations at incredible speeds resulting in the ability to handle enormous datasets and complex algorithms far faster and more accurately than standard systems. 

“For AI developers, that speed translates directly into much-needed progress. Models that would take weeks or months to train on ordinary hardware, can now be processed possibly in days or even hours depending on the workload. This reduction in time and cost could prove transformative for local start-ups and SMEs seeking to enter the AI space.”

Until now, the field has been largely dominated by those with access to vast computing resources abroad, at prohibitive cost to start-ups and researchers. “The HPC is designed to level the playing field,” Dr Mifsud continues. “Researchers and entrepreneurs in Malta will finally be able to train their AI models locally, without relying on expensive or inaccessible overseas infrastructure.”

Each project applying for HPC use will go through an onboarding process and an ethical review, ensuring that innovation develops within ethically sound and responsible boundaries.

“Apart from providing the technology, we mean to ensure its most fruitful use, in such a manner that aligns with our ethical standards and the wider good of society,” Dr Mifsud continues.

The HPC was officially launched in the past days, with the first users already running their projects on it. And interest is already sky-high, as the system is expected to cater not only to start-ups and SMEs but also to academic researchers across a wide array of disciplines.

“We have already received interest for projects focused on earthquake prediction, weather modelling, and health forecasting. All areas that combine big data with real-world impact,” Dr Mifsud adds.

This multidisciplinary approach dovetails perfectly with the broader trends of the modern tech world, from the IoT to data science and machine learning. The aim is to create a virtuous cycle where industry and academia feed into each other’s progress, fuelling innovation that directly benefits society.

The HPC project embodies the spirit of the European Union’s Digital Europe Programme, which seeks to strengthen Europe’s digital capabilities by investing in advanced computing, AI, and data infrastructure.

“We have some brilliant minds locally, and we are duty-bound to support them as they work on their PhDs and world-class research. It is not acceptable that their work and ideas suffer due to lack of access to the resources they need. This initiative gives them that access. It’s not just an investment in technology, rather an investment in people.”

Through the HPC’s own dedicated website, outlining technical specifications, eligibility criteria, and the application process, interested parties will be able to submit project proposals directly.

Depending on demand, the infrastructure is designed to scale up, ensuring that both early adopters and future innovators can continue to benefit from the HPC, as Malta’s AI ecosystem grows.

“We want it to be a system that develops alongside the needs of our researchers, developers, and entrepreneurs. We want to create an environment where technology is no longer an obstacle but an enabler. By destroying the barriers to high-end computing, we want to empower a new generation of academics and entrepreneurs, who will no doubt contribute directly to an improved society tomorrow,” Dr Mifsud concludes.