Orion telekom launches a sovereign AI factory

BELGRADE, Serbia – Orion telekom, a leading telecommunications and IT services provider, today announced the launch of its sovereign AI Factory at its data center campus in Belgrade. The company is among the first in the Southeast European (SEE) market to commercially deploy a comprehensive platform supporting the full lifecycle of AI development, including AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS) and GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS), leveraging NVIDIA AI Enterprise software, and managed infrastructure services.

Adopting AI to drive business transformation and secure a competitive advantage requires rapid access to large-scale data sets and state-of-the-art computing power. To meet this demand, Orion telekom and NetApp (NASDAQ: NTAP), the Intelligent Data Infrastructure company, have entered into a definitive agreement to provide access to sovereign, next-generation infrastructure and software services, facilitating advanced AI deployments in collaboration with NVIDIA.

Next-Generation AI for the Region

Orion telekom’s flagship offering is built on the  NVIDIA DGX reference architecture, powered by DGX B200 systems. This platform is powered by the cutting-edge  NVIDIA Blackwell architecture , interconnected and scaled via NVIDIA Quantum-2 InfiniBand networking. This design is engineered to handle the most diverse and demanding AI workloads, making it ideal for enterprises building, testing, and scaling AI innovations.

This marks one of the first offerings in the SEE market based on the NVIDIA DGX BasePOD with DGX B200 systems, integrated with NetApp AFF A70 all-flash storage. With the launch of this platform at Orion telekom’s Belgrade campus, enterprises gain access to the scale, high throughput, and low latency performance necessary to power the next wave of AI projects, spanning both model training and inference.

To accelerate AI adoption, Orion telekom provides access to  NVIDIA AI Enterprise – a cloud-native software platform that streamlines the development and deployment of AI solutions. NVIDIA NIM microservices, a set of easy-to-use, production-ready microservices within the platform, optimize model performance with enterprise-grade security, support, and stability, helping customers move smoothly from prototype to production.

“We are investing in cutting-edge infrastructure to provide massive computing power, enabling businesses driving innovation in Serbia and the entire SEE region to do so while retaining complete control over their data and intellectual property,” said Slobodan Đinović, CEO of Orion telekom. “Investing in AI is fundamental to helping our economy grow and compete globally. The introduction of the NVIDIA DGX B200 BasePOD to our Belgrade data center eliminates the critical barrier of access to sovereign, high-performance computing power and helps democratize AI for the region.”

To deliver superior multi-dimensional performance, Orion telekom selected NetApp’s validated architecture, specifically the NetApp AFF A70 system, powered by NetApp ONTAP data management software. It allows for the simultaneous processing of multiple data streams, reducing data wait times and accelerating the entire model training process and inference workloads.

“We are delighted to support Orion telekom and its customers throughout Eastern Europe . Our collaboration provides organizations with access to industry-leading solutions that will enhance AI projects through validated designs,” said Peter Kos, Regional Sales Director; Eastern Europe, Türkiye, Ukraine & CIS, at NetApp. “Our enterprise-grade data platform for AI innovation—including storage systems integrated with NVIDIA DGX BasePOD deployments—position us perfectly to support Orion telekom’s AI Factory. We look forward to our collaboration on this exciting venture.”

Sovereign, Scalable, and Connected

Orion telekom’s GPU infrastructure and NVIDIA AI Enterprise software are physically located within its data center in Belgrade, Serbia. AI services are fully compliant with best practices for sovereign data maintenance and EU regulations, including the AI Act, GDPR, and NIS2, helping customers address regulatory, security, and governance requirements. Data used to train AI models or to conduct AI inferencing remains under the full control of the customer, minimizing risks of unauthorized access to sensitive information.

This launch is the first phase of a broader project to establish a large-scale sovereign AI Factory on Orion telekom’s campus. The company plans to leverage its data center infrastructure—featuring optimal latency, renewable energy integration, and high energy efficiency—to host high-performance, full-stack accelerated NVIDIA AI infrastructure.

Orion telekom operates one of the region’s most significant carrier-neutral data centers and an extensive fiber-optic network. This strategic position in Belgrade provides optimal and fully redundant data transfer times (latency) to major European hubs, including Vienna, Frankfurt, Budapest, and Athens, ensuring high-speed, secure connectivity for demanding AI workloads.

About Orion Telekom

Orion telekom is a leading telecommunications operator and IT services provider headquartered in Belgrade, Serbia. The company provides a comprehensive range of services including fiber-optic internet, cable television, fixed telephony, and advanced data center services. With a focus on innovation, security, and data sovereignty, Orion telekom is building the digital future of Southeast Europe..