This week’s stories come from the Netherlands, the UK and the USA
1-Netherlands signs deal with Nvidia for AI supercomputing hub
The Dutch government has partnered with Nvidia to develop an AI facility in the Netherlands, centered around a supercomputer designed to boost research and development efforts. The announcement was made Thursday, as Dutch Economic Affairs Minister Dirk Beljaarts met with Nvidia executives in Silicon Valley.
I saw this story The Next Web and Minister Beljaarts emphasized the importance of securing the necessary knowledge and hardware before beginning construction, stating, “Today, the Netherlands has taken an important step together with Nvidia. This brings the construction of a Dutch AI facility a lot closer.”
Although no timeline or specific details were provided for the facility, the Netherlands is striving to establish itself as a leader in AI, ranking among the top 10 most digitized nations globally in 2022. In January of that year, the government allocated over €200 million to encourage local investment in AI technology. Former Economic Affairs Minister Micky Adriaansens noted Europe’s need to catch up to Asia and the US in AI development.
The Dutch government’s AI strategy prioritizes fostering talent, building infrastructure, ensuring safety in applications, and encouraging collaboration through initiatives like the Dutch AI Coalition. Last year, the country also launched GPT-NL, its own “safer” large language model. (By the way I have a story here from Dutch writer, Diederik Heinink)
As part of its plan, the Netherlands requires increased computing capacity for AI training. In addition to Nvidia, Minister Beljaarts is meeting with AMD and seeking to strengthen ties between Dutch and American tech companies, according to the government.

Netherlands signs deal with Nvidia for AI supercomputing hub
2-New AI chip export restrictions from US
The United States has introduced new global AI chip export regulations, dividing countries into three tiers of access. While 18 close allies, including nations like Canada and the UK, enjoy unrestricted access, around 120 countries face numerical limits on chip exports. Countries such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea remain under an outright ban.
AI chips, particularly GPUs produced by companies like Nvidia, are critical for deploying advanced AI models used in various applications, including chatbots, autonomous vehicles, and weapons systems.
The rules, set to take effect in 120 days, establish:
- Tiered Access:
- First-tier countries (18 allies) face no restrictions.
- Second-tier countries may receive up to 50,000 advanced chips annually, with potential increases to 100,000 for signing technology security agreements.
- Third-tier countries, including China, are entirely restricted.
- Purchase Limits: Orders under 1,700 chips are exempt from licenses, easing access for educational and medical institutions.
- Verification Programs:
- Trusted buyers in allied nations can apply for “Universal Verified End User” (UVEU) status, allowing up to 7% global AI capacity in individual nations.
- Buyers outside restricted nations can seek “National Verified End User” status for access to up to 320,000 GPUs over two years.
Cloud service providers like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google have additional privileges under the rules, such as global authorizations for data center construction, provided they meet security and human rights requirements. US-based providers must retain at least 50% of their AI computing power domestically.

New AI chip export restrictions from US
3-U.K aims to develop OpenAI rival
The United Kingdom is making bold moves to establish itself as a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI), with Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government outlining plans to create a homegrown rival to OpenAI and expand national computing capacity, according to CNBC.
During a visit to Bristol on Monday, Starmer unveiled the initiative, building on the groundwork laid by British tech investor Matt Clifford’s “AI Opportunities Action Plan.” The plan aims to position the U.K. at the forefront of AI innovation by fostering domestic talent, infrastructure, and technology.
A key part of the government’s strategy involves increasing the U.K.’s sovereign computing capacity by 20 times by 2030. This expansion will focus on boosting data center availability, a critical need for developers of advanced AI models reliant on high-performance computing. As part of this initiative, the government will provide access to the AI Research Resource, designed to enhance the country’s computing infrastructure.
Last year, Starmer’s administration redirected £1.3 billion previously allocated to major computing projects, including an exascale supercomputer and the AI Research Resource, prioritizing other fiscal needs.
The U.K. government aims to nurture domestic AI “champions” to rival major U.S. firms like OpenAI. Through initiatives such as the National Data Library, the government plans to connect public institutions like universities to develop sovereign AI models.
However, significant challenges remain. Entrepreneurs in the U.K. have cited funding barriers that limit the ability of startups to secure the capital necessary to compete with Silicon Valley.

U.K aims to develop OpenAI rival