With an investment of €1.8 billion, Sesterce announces the establishment of France's most powerful supercomputer and an AI innovation campus at the Rovaltain site.
On Thursday, March 13, 2025, Sesterce—a leading European operator specializing in next-generation infrastructure for high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence—officially unveiled its ambitious project in the Drôme region: a next-generation supercomputer set to be operational by 2026, along with an AI innovation campus located within the Écotox hub, just steps from the Valence TGV station.
This project, representing an investment of €450 million—rising to €1.8 billion including GPU hardware—positions France as a key player in both high-performance computing and European digital sovereignty.
The future site in Alixan will host France’s largest supercomputer—and potentially one of Europe’s largest, featuring:
Announced on February 10 during the International AI Summit in Paris, the initiative fully aligns with the AI 2030 Plan, supporting the development of sovereign, sustainable, and high-performance digital infrastructure.
Sesterce’s AI Campus aims to be a true ecosystem where companies, startups, researchers, and students collaborate to accelerate AI development and deployment. Designed as an innovation hub, the campus will offer an ideal environment for creation, training, and research in AI technologies.
“Through this initiative, we aim not only to position the Drôme as a center of excellence in artificial intelligence, but also to actively contribute to the rise of a responsible, high-performance AI that serves both businesses and citizens,” adds Youssef El Manssouri, CEO and Co-founder of Sesterce.
A key strength of Sesterce’s project lies in its eco-friendly and sustainable energy strategy. Unlike traditional cooling systems that require constant water consumption, the company has implemented a closed-loop system. Water enters at 15 to 20°C to cool the servers, then exits at around 60°C and transfers its heat to a second circuit via a heat exchanger. This dual-use system offers two main benefits: it allows water to be reused and enables heat recovery for district heating.
Thanks to our closed-loop system, we achieve exceptional energy efficiency with 98% Joule effect while saving 96% of water compared to conventional systems. This almost fully reinvested energy also helps reduce local CO₂ emissions by 60%,” explains Anthony Tchakerian, Co-founder and COO of Sesterce.
Sesterce powers the world's best AI companies, from bare metal infrastructures to lightning fast inference.