Senior Vice President appointed to manage the infrastructure of the Gefion AI supercomputer
The Danish Centre for AI Innovation A/S (DCAI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ali Syed as Senior Vice President of Infrastructure. In his new role, Syed will oversee the continued development and optimisation of the cutting-edge Gefion AI-supercomputer, advancing DCAI’s mission to enable transformative AI-driven projects across Denmark and beyond.
Syed will lead a highly skilled team of experts focused on expanding DCAI’s technological capabilities and infrastructure to meet the demands of diverse users, from academic researchers to industry partners. His responsibilities will include implementing robust technology roadmaps that align with DCAI’s strategic goals and market opportunities, ensuring Gefion’s capacity to support large-scale AI applications. As DCAI pushes forward in areas such as healthcare, quantum computing, and sustainable energy, Syed’s leadership will be instrumental in maintaining DCAI’s competitive edge in AI and advanced computing.
Ali Syed brings over 20 years of experience in supercomputing, high-performance computing (HPC), cloud technology, IT security and large-scale infrastructure management to his role at DCAI. Prior to this appointment, Syed served as Chief Technology Officer for the Danish National Genome Center (DNGC), where he developed national infrastructure for personalised medicine, integrating data from research, clinical practice, and industry. Known for his expertise in HPC architectures, Syed has designed and deployed two HPC systems that ranked on the TOP500 list of the world’s largest supercomputers.
Reflecting on his new position, Syed states: “Having collaborated with researchers at the forefront of supercomputing and new technologies for the past decade, I have long recognised the transformative potential of AI. Together with DCAI, I feel we are now stepping into this future, backed by the amazing speed, security, and processing abilities of Gefion. I am excited to join such a strong community of innovators, researchers, and industry leaders to unlock the power that AI technology and supercomputing truly offer.”
Nadia Carlsten, CEO of DCAI, says: “Ali’s background in high-performance computing and his track record of leading large-scale, impactful projects make him the ideal choice to lead our infrastructure team. His expertise will be invaluable as we push the boundaries of what AI and supercomputing can achieve. With his leadership, I am confident that DCAI will continue to grow as a powerhouse in AI innovation, setting new standards and enabling groundbreaking research across sectors.”
The new AI supercomputer Gefion was launched at an event on October 23rd in Copenhagen, with the attendance of HM King Frederik X of Denmark, and Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, amongst others. Gefion is now being readied for customers, starting with a pilot phase where it will be used by select customers interested in using AI to accelerate innovation in many areas, ranging from quantum computing to drug discovery, to societal challenges such as the transition to green energy.