A slice of Silicon Valley is coming to Stockport

Manchester-based Vespertec is bringing a slice of Silicon Valley to Stockport by unveiling its state-of-the-art AI lab, the first of its kind in Europe.

The AI lab is set up in Vespertec’s experience centre, in partnership with NVIDIA, and will be offered to local universities and not-for-profits for free.

This will allow them to use the latest NVIDIA AI technology and will help supercharge the North West’s transformation into an international leader in digital innovation.

Complementing the GH200, the lab also features NVIDIA PCIe based GPU server, allowing customers to compare and contrast performance across different environments. The entire setup is linked by the NVIDIA Spectrum-4 SN5600 switch, and Edgeware interconnect, ensuring high-bandwidth, low-latency networking throughout the platform.

The Test Drive programme, available via remote access, is particularly valuable for those who need to validate their code’s performance on new architectures, especially given the switch from x86 to Arm Neoverse v2 cores in the Grace Hopper architecture. This initiative removes barriers to adoption by allowing customers to ensure their applications are optimised for these advanced systems. 

With Vespertec having already deployed around 100 Grace Hopper systems, this lab environment serves as a powerful tool for troubleshooting and performance optimisation. The remote access feature enables a wide range of users – from academic researchers to enterprise solution architects – to leverage this cutting-edge technology without geographical constraints. Vespertec’s highly experienced engineers work collaboratively with Nvidia and are available to support users in getting set up and running, ensuring a successful test drive.

Allan Kaye Co-founder and director at Vespertec stated.

“We understand the complexities involved in adopting the latest solutions, which is why we’ve created this resource. By offering remote access to the newest hardware, we’re enabling our customers to thoroughly evaluate these technologies before purchase, and providing a valuable troubleshooting resource post-implementation. This initiative is a natural extension of our customer-first philosophy, ensuring we’re there for our clients – from initial exploration to long-term support.”