VivoPower, Open Innovation AI Partner on Sovereign AI Data Centres
VivoPower PLC has signed a definitive heads of agreement with UAE-based Open Innovation AI to explore the development of secure sovereign AI data centres across the Nordic countries, mainland Europe, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and selected Asian markets.
Signed at the Sheikh Zayed Museum in Abu Dhabi on 21 October, the agreement brings together VivoPower’s expertise in powered land, site development and data centre operations with Open Innovation AI’s AI orchestration, operations and security capabilities. The partnership aims to help governments and enterprises establish AI infrastructure that keeps control of data, technology and operations within their respective jurisdictions.
The companies estimate that the sovereign AI opportunity in Europe alone exceeds 40GW across government administration, defence, healthcare, education and financial services. They intend to target at least 1GW of capacity over the next three years, with additional opportunities across the GCC and Asia.
Demand for AI computing capacity is growing as governments and businesses seek infrastructure that meets national security requirements, data sovereignty obligations and cybersecurity standards. However, securing sufficient power, suitable land and the technology needed to operate AI workloads remains a significant challenge.
Under the agreement, VivoPower will focus on site sourcing and acquisition, infrastructure development, power procurement and facility operations. Open Innovation AI will provide the software layer, including AI orchestration and scheduling, AI and machine learning operations, agentic workflows and security capabilities.
Alex Cuppage, Chief Investment Officer of VivoPower PLC, said, “VivoPower is committed to working with nations as their most trusted long-term and aligned AI infrastructure partner to deliver leading sovereign AI infrastructure. We believe that sovereigns who develop leading AI infrastructure, supported by a secure and full stack sovereign cloud solution will drive national prosperity and security. In most cases, allocations of a nation’s natural resources of power and water to sovereign cloud represents the highest and best use. The UAE is globally seen as one of the most advanced nations utilising sovereign compute. We are delighted to establish this partnership with Open Innovation AI, a proven sovereign AI orchestration and security platform, offering governments and enterprises a complete path from site to secure AI service. Signing this agreement in Abu Dhabi, at the heart of the region’s AI ambition, is a fitting start. We are excited to work together with sovereigns across the Nordics, Mainland Europe, the GCC and Asia to help develop their compute power infrastructure, which will equate to national prosperity and national security.”
Integrating infrastructure, AI operations and security
The partnership is designed to integrate the physical and software components of sovereign AI infrastructure, from power and data centre facilities to the platforms used to deploy and manage AI models and applications.
Open Innovation AI’s Full Stack AI Fabric combines orchestration and scheduling with AI and machine learning operations, agentic workflows, agent harness capabilities and AI security. The platform is designed to support private cloud, on-premises and fully air-gapped deployments, giving organisations greater control over their technology environments.
The companies intend to develop individual projects through separate, project-specific agreements, with further definitive documentation to follow. As an initial step, VivoPower will deploy Open Innovation AI’s software solutions for orchestration, AI operations and security across its existing portfolio and Nordic project pipeline.
Open Innovation AI brings experience designing, deploying and operating AI platforms and laboratories for government and enterprise environments in the UAE, where operational control, security and governance are key requirements.
Dr. Abed Benaichouche, Co-Founder and CEO of Open Innovation AI, said: “Sovereign AI is not only about compute capacity; it is about securing and controlling the technology layer that allows governments and enterprises to run AI safely, locally and at scale. VivoPower shares our belief that every nation should control its own intelligence. Together, we can bring secure AI Data Centers online faster across the Nordics, Mainland Europe, the GCC and Asia, and take the UAE’s AI expertise to new markets.”
Addressing the demand for sovereign cloud
Sovereign cloud infrastructure enables governments and enterprises to maintain control over where data is stored and processed, how AI systems are operated and which technologies underpin their services.
The partnership aims to address these requirements through a combination of locally controlled infrastructure, power availability, AI platform independence and integrated cybersecurity. The proposed model is intended to reduce reliance on fragmented infrastructure arrangements and give customers a more direct route from site development to operational AI services.
VivoPower has existing assets in Mo i Rana, Norway, a pipeline of Nordic projects and a presence in Abu Dhabi. These resources will support the partnership’s efforts to identify sites with access to power and suitable conditions for AI data centre development.
The companies also intend to offer a hardware-agnostic platform that can operate across different deployment environments, allowing governments and enterprises to retain flexibility over technology selection rather than depending on a single hardware vendor or hyperscale cloud provider.
Kevin Chin, Executive Chairman and CEO of VivoPower PLC, said: “Sovereign AI needs more than power and buildings. It needs a trusted, secure platform to run on. Our partnership with Open Innovation AI lets VivoPower offer sovereigns a complete solution, from powered land to production-ready AI. It is an important step in building VivoPower into a leading independent sovereign AI infrastructure partner, and in creating long-term value for our shareholders across our existing portfolio and near-term pipeline.”
Four regional markets in focus
The companies will initially focus on four geographical areas:
- Nordics: Leveraging VivoPower’s existing asset in Mo i Rana, Norway, and its project pipeline across the region.
- GCC: Building on Open Innovation AI’s UAE base and VivoPower’s presence in Abu Dhabi to support national AI strategies across the Gulf.
- Mainland Europe: Addressing demand for AI computing capacity, cybersecurity, data sovereignty and operational control under European governance frameworks.
- Selected Asian markets: Exploring opportunities in countries investing in domestic AI capabilities, cyber-resilient infrastructure and digital independence, particularly where VivoPower can source sites with access to competitively priced power.
The companies expect the combination of infrastructure development and an integrated AI software platform to help shorten deployment timelines, while embedding security and governance across facilities, models and AI agents.
The agreement establishes a framework for exploring projects across the target markets. Individual developments will proceed under separate project-specific arrangements, as the partners work towards their target of at least 1GW of AI capacity over the next three years.
