The University of Ljubljana in Slovenia has introduced a novel high-performance computing (HPC) system called “FRIDA”. Located on the roof of the Faculty of Computer and Information Science (FRI) building in the capital of Slovenia, this containerized data center aims to facilitate interdisciplinary endeavors between researchers and private-sector partners. – University of Ljubljana With a capability to execute computations of lower precision at an impressive rate, FRIDA can perform up to 708 petaflops.
DCD contacted the University of Ljubljana for their opinion. The dean of FRI, Associate Professor Dr. Mojca Ciglarič, stated that “FRIDA significantly contributes to the mission of FRI, a leading force in technological advancement in Slovenia, by bridging advanced research knowledge with cutting-edge facilities, and fostering innovations in AI and high-performance computing.” This provides a platform for the Slovenian economy to test emerging technologies, which we think will give it a significant edge in competition.
The University of Ljubljana announced that FRIDA will consist of 104 seventh-generation GPUs, which include Nvidia Blackwell B200 and B123 AI GPUs. These cores, which are connected to a high-performance network and chilled with a combination of air and liquid-based cooling, can train AI models quickly, typically within hours or days, according to the institution.
FRIDA, the university stated, is Slovenia’s most powerful HPC system, able to perform at a rate of 1.42 exaflops for calculations involving sparse matrices of lower precision. The university stated that FRIDA’s learning ability is two times greater than Vega, a 6.9 petaflop HPC system introduced in 2021 within the European High Performance Computing (EuroHPC) Joint Undertaking.
FRIDA will contribute to a modest yet expanding data center sector in Slovenia. The nation now has 20 establishments of this kind, as reported by DataCenterMap, with the majority located in the capital, Ljubljana. Among the recent developments are a complex constructed in 2025 atop a postal logistics center for the Ministry of Digital Transformation and another high-performance computing system in Maribor, situated in the northeast.
