Cisco, Sharon AI, and NVIDIA Launch Australia’s First Secure AI Factory
Event summary
- Sharon AI and Cisco launched Australia’s first Cisco Secure AI Factory in partnership with NVIDIA on February 23, 2026.
- The initiative includes 1024 NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra GPUs, Cisco UCS servers, and VAST Data storage systems hosted in NEXTDC’s Australian data centers.
- The factory aims to provide secure, scalable, and high-performance sovereign AI capabilities, aligning with Australia’s National AI Plan.
- Sharon AI will offer tailored solutions and a sandbox environment for proof-of-concepts.
The big picture
This collaboration underscores the growing emphasis on secure, sovereign AI infrastructure, particularly in response to national digital strategies like Australia’s National AI Plan. The integration of NVIDIA’s Blackwell Ultra GPUs and Cisco’s networking solutions highlights a trend toward high-performance, secure AI environments that cater to both enterprise and government needs. The initiative could set a precedent for similar deployments in other regions, reinforcing the importance of data sovereignty in AI adoption.
What we're watching
- Market Adoption
- The pace at which enterprises and governments in Australia adopt the Secure AI Factory’s offerings.
- Strategic Expansion
- Whether Sharon AI and Cisco can sustain collaboration to drive additional AI clusters in 2026 and beyond.
- Competitive Dynamics
- How this initiative positions Australia in the broader Asia-Pacific region’s secure AI infrastructure landscape.
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