# Italy — IT4LIA AI Factory · sovereign AI programme Sovereign programme record · Italy · 2022 ## Italy: programme funding and hardware # Italy: IT4LIA AI Factory + Leonardo + CINECA ### The reconciliation This record has no dollar amount for these funding stages. Programme details and source amounts appear below. Cite **Operating compute / delivered hardware**. Reported operational or delivered: 13,824 NVIDIA A100 (Leonardo partition) (physical hardware). ### Funding components | Component | Kind | Amount | | --- | --- | --- | | Leonardo financing, 2019–2025 (€120M Italy + €120M EuroHPC) | Government | — | | IT4LIA AI supercomputer (€290M acquisition and maintenance contract, April 2026) | Government | — | | LISA extension (€50M acquisition, installation, operation and support budget, June 2026) | Government | — | ### Hardware on record
ModelCountStatusOrganisation / role
NVIDIA A100 (Leonardo partition)13,824OperationalCINECA (government)

Physical hardware: Leonardo’s Booster partition: 3,456 nodes with four A100 GPUs each. Primary source

NVIDIA Hopper (LISA)1,328CommissioningCINECA (government)

Physical hardware: Whole LISA extension: 166 servers with eight H100 GPUs each, also described under Italy and EuroHPC. Primary source · 2026-06-11

#### Empanelled partners · 8
PartnerAcceleratorsModelStageSource
CINECA Consorzio Interuniversitario—NVIDIA GB200 NVL4 (Blackwell) + NVIDIA Quantum-X800 InfiniBandAwardedPrimary source · 2026-04-22

Will host and operate the new IT4LIA supercomputer at Tecnopolo DAMA in Bologna. The April 2026 contract specifies NVIDIA GB200 NVL4 systems with Quantum-X800 InfiniBand, alongside a dedicated inference system using Axelera AI accelerators and SiPearl CPUs.

  • Programme-level disclosure
E4 Computer Engineering—NVIDIA GB200 NVL4AwardedPrimary source · 2026-04-22

Integrates the IT4LIA supercomputer with Dell hardware and VAST Data storage. E4’s April 2026 announcement specifies a planned 8,000 GPUs across more than 2,000 nodes.

  • Programme-level disclosure
Dell Technologies——AwardedPrimary source · 2026-04-22

Supplies hardware for the new IT4LIA supercomputer under the April 2026 contract with E4 Computer Engineering.

  • Programme-level disclosure
Italian Ministry of University and Research——AwardedPrimary source · 2026-04-22

Co-funds the €290M IT4LIA equipment and maintenance contract with EuroHPC; each supplies half.

  • Programme-level disclosure
National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN)——EmpanelledPrimary source · 2024-12-10

Participates in and co-funds the IT4LIA AI Factory.

  • Programme-level disclosure
Italian Research Center in High Performance Computing, Big Data and Quantum Computing (ICSC)——EmpanelledPrimary source · 2024-12-10

Participates in the IT4LIA AI Factory consortium.

  • Programme-level disclosure
Bruno Kessler Foundation (FBK)——EmpanelledPrimary source · 2024-12-10

Participates in and co-funds the IT4LIA AI Factory.

  • Programme-level disclosure
Italian Institute of Artificial Intelligence for Industry (AI4I)——EmpanelledPrimary source · 2024-12-10

Participates in and co-funds the IT4LIA AI Factory.

  • Programme-level disclosure
### External dependence NVIDIA hardware: High · US technology: High. These are editorial assessments based on the programme’s procurement disclosures. Named partners: CINECA, EuroHPC JU, MUR, ACN, INFN, Leonardo S.p.A., IQM. CINECA operates Leonardo at Bologna’s Tecnopolo DAMA. Its Booster partition has 13,824 NVIDIA A100 GPUs and entered full production in July 2023. The LISA extension adds a separate 1,328-GPU system; at its June 2026 inauguration, user access was expected during the summer. IT4LIA’s new AI supercomputer was contracted to E4 Computer Engineering and Dell in April 2026. ### Data-quality caveats on this record · 5 - Leonardo’s Booster partition has 3,456 nodes with four A100 GPUs each. LISA’s 166 eight-GPU servers are a separate extension. - The ministry’s February 2022 financing statement assigns €120M to Leonardo over 2019–25, alongside €120M allocated by EuroHPC. These allocations do not itemize payments to suppliers. - EuroHPC’s June 2026 LISA announcement gives a €50M budget for acquisition, installation, operation and technical support. It dates the inauguration to 11 June and expects user availability during summer 2026. - The April 2026 IT4LIA procurement contract covers acquisition, delivery, installation and maintenance for €290M, split equally between EuroHPC and Italy’s Ministry of University and Research. - E4 describes an approximately €420M overall IT4LIA project, which has a wider scope than the €290M equipment contract. ### The evidence trail 13 cited sources - [IT4LIA (CINECA official)](https://www.cineca.it/en/press-area/press-releases/it4lia-italy-artificial-intelligence) — Primary source · accessed 2026-04-07 - [IT4LIA (ACN government agency)](https://www.acn.gov.it/portale/en/w/it4lia-ai-factory-protagonisti-dell-intelligenza-artificiale-in-europa) — Primary source · accessed 2026-04-07 - [Official IT4LIA AI Factory website](https://it4lia-aifactory.eu/) — Primary source · accessed 2026-03-28 - [NVIDIA/Italy partnership details](https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/italy-sovereign-ai/) — Primary source · accessed 2026-03-28 - [Leonardo: CINECA partnership release, republished by HPCwire](https://www.hpcwire.com/off-the-wire/cineca-and-leonardo-to-boost-italian-technological-development-through-hpc-and-ai/) — Primary source · accessed 2026-03-28 - [NVIDIA: planned Leonardo architecture with CINECA and Atos, October 2020](https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/cineca-to-build-worlds-fastest-ai-supercomputer-with-nvidia-and-atos) — Primary source · accessed 2026-03-28 - [CINECA: Leonardo node and accelerator specifications; production dates](https://docs.hpc.cineca.it/hpc/leonardo.html#hardware-details) — Primary source · accessed 2026-09-08 - [MUR: €120M Italian and €120M EuroHPC allocations for Leonardo, February 2022](https://www.mur.gov.it/it/news/mercoledi-23022022/ricerca-la-commissaria-ue-gabriel-e-il-ministro-messa-allhub-dei-big-data) — Primary source · accessed 2026-09-08 - [EuroHPC: LISA inauguration, 166 eight-GPU servers, €50M budget and expected user access](https://www.eurohpc-ju.europa.eu/inauguration-sol-new-quantum-computer-together-lisa-upgrade-leonardo-supercomputer-2026-06-11_en) — Primary source · accessed 2026-09-08 - [EuroHPC: IT4LIA suppliers, architecture and €290M procurement contract](https://www.eurohpc-ju.europa.eu/eurohpc-ju-signs-contract-boost-ai-capabilities-it4lia-ai-factory-2026-04-22_en) — Primary source · accessed 2026-09-08 - [E4: IT4LIA integration contract, planned hardware and overall project budget](https://www.e4company.com/en/2026/04/e4-wins-the-tender-it4lia-the-italian-factory/) — Primary source · accessed 2026-09-08 - [EuroHPC: IT4LIA consortium and co-funding organisations](https://www.eurohpc-ju.europa.eu/ai-factories/italy_en) — Primary source · accessed 2026-09-08 - [CINECA’s Leonardo hardware guide: 3,456 Booster nodes with four A100 GPUs each.](https://docs.hpc.cineca.it/hpc/leonardo.html) — Primary source · accessed 2026-09-08 Machine access The same record, machine-readable: the [evidence-trail feed](https://scrutica.com/sovereign-ai/program/sovereign-it/feed.xml) and the [derivation-chain export](https://scrutica.com/api/sovereign-programs/derivation-chain/it).