Walton Institute is developing a new artificial intelligence facility in Waterford as part of a €17m national investment, expanding high-performance computing infrastructure with implications for facilities management in data-intensive environments.

Irish Tech News reported that the institute secured over €1m in funding to support the Walton AI Facility, designed to significantly increase computing capacity and support industry adoption of AI technologies.

The project forms part of a broader government-backed initiative led by Research Ireland, announced by Minister James Lawless, to strengthen national research infrastructure across key sectors.

The facility will expand Walton’s existing data centre capabilities, delivering up to 100 times current computing capacity while improving energy efficiency, reflecting growing demand for sustainable infrastructure in AI and digital operations.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless said: “This investment will equip researchers across the country with the tools they need to remain at the forefront of global innovation and strengthen Ireland’s long-term competitiveness.”

Dr Deirdre Kilbane, director of research at the Walton Institute, said: “This funding strengthens our ability to build strong research collaborations that support industry and public sector partners in adopting AI with confidence.”

The facility will support large-scale AI model training, real-time data analysis and cross-sector research, while connecting to European infrastructure such as the European Open Science Cloud.

For facilities management providers, the project highlights increasing demand for energy-efficient data centre operations, advanced cooling systems and compliance-led infrastructure management in high-performance computing environments.

Discover more on the Walton AI Facility, including funding structure, infrastructure capabilities, and its impact on Ireland’s high-performance computing and facilities management requirements.