Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2018-10-31
Buyer: Universitetet i Agder
Country: NO
Contract type: Supplies
Procedure: Contract award without prior publication
CPV classification: 48700000 | 48800000 | 48820000: Servers
Estimated value: 5000000 NOK

Technical requirements: Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR) has become a new top priority area for Universitet i Agder [Agder University]. CAIR is working with applied and basic research in artificial intelligence. CAIR is working to create brand new algorithm types with a universal application. This includes variations of deep neutral networks that require a lot of GPU power. The size of the problems that can be solved and the quality of these is directly connected to the capacity of the hardware used. It is the capacity of the hardware that restricts the application and our research environment must seek the most powerful hardware. Nvidia DGX-2 is a single-server 2 PFLOPS machine with 512 GB high speed memory and currently there is no other party in the market who can offer hardware that can compete with DGX-2. The system is required to be delivered with full AI software stack and professional support.
Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR) has become a new top priority area for Universitet i Agder [Agder University]. CAIR is working with applied and basic research in artificial intelligence. CAIR is working to create brand new algorithm types with a universal application. This includes variations of deep neutral networks that require a lot of GPU power. We are working with specific artificial intelligence algorithms connected to health, energy, security, accounting and training. The AI research at Agder University is not only basic research, but will and must result in practical solutions for practical problems. The size of the problems that can be solved and the quality of these is directly connected to the capacity of the hardware used. It is the capacity of the hardware that restricts the application and our research environment must seek the most powerful hardware. Nvidia DGX-2 is a single-server 2 PFLOPS machine with 512 GB high speed memory and currently there is no other party in the market who can offer hardware that can compete with DGX-2. The system is required to be delivered with full AI software stack and professional support.
Agder University believes that Public Procurement Regulation §13-4, letter b, point 2 applies for this contract. The reason is as follows:
Centre for Artificial Intelligence research (CAIR) has become a new top priority area for Universitet i Agder [Agder University]. CAIR is working with applied and basic research in artificial intelligence. CAIR is working to create brand new algorithm types with a universal application. This includes variations of deep neutral networks that require a lot of GPU power. We are working with specific artificial intelligence algorithms connected to health, energy, security, accounting and training. The AI research at Agder University is not only basic research, but will and must result in practical solutions for practical problems. The size of the problems that can be solved and the quality of these is directly connected to the capacity of the hardware used. It is the capacity of the hardware that restricts the application and our research environment must seek the most powerful hardware. Nvidia DGX-2 is a single-server 2 PFLOPS machine with 512 GB high speed memory and currently there is no other party in the market who can offer hardware that can compete with DGX-2. The system is required to be delivered with full AI software stack and professional support.


Winner: Nextron AS
Award value: 5000000