Proactive - Interviews for investors

VivoPower partners with Open Innovation AI to develop sovereign AI data centres global

Episode Summary

VivoPower International PLC Chief Investment Officer Alex Cuppage joined Steve Darling from Proactive to discuss the company's agreement with UAE-based Open Innovation AI to jointly explore and develop secure sovereign AI data centres across the Nordic countries, mainland Europe, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and selected Asian markets. The companies have executed definitive heads of agreement outlining their intention to collaborate on infrastructure designed to meet growing demand for secure artificial intelligence computing capacity. The agreement was signed at the Sheikh Zayed Museum in Abu Dhabi on October 21, 2026, in the presence of senior leadership from both companies. The signing reflects Abu Dhabi's growing role in the sovereign AI sector and the partners' ambition to extend this model into additional international markets. Demand for AI computing is expanding rapidly, creating pressure on the availability of electricity, suitable land and data centre infrastructure. Governments and enterprises are increasingly seeking computing capacity that allows them to retain control over their infrastructure, data, AI models and services while maintaining strong cybersecurity and governance standards. The proposed collaboration combines VivoPower's expertise in securing power supplies and developing data centre infrastructure with Open Innovation AI's capabilities in AI orchestration, operations and security. A central concept behind the partnership is sovereign cloud infrastructure, which allows a country and its trusted organizations to maintain control over critical computing systems under applicable local laws and regulations. Unlike conventional public cloud arrangements, where data, models or operations may be subject to foreign jurisdictions or externally controlled operators, sovereign cloud infrastructure is designed to keep essential systems under local control. This can be particularly important for governments and enterprises handling sensitive information or operating in highly regulated industries. Through the proposed partnership, VivoPower and Open Innovation AI aim to explore opportunities to develop AI data centres that combine reliable power and physical infrastructure with the software, operational capabilities and security measures required for sovereign AI deployment. The companies are targeting markets across Europe, the GCC and selected parts of Asia, where demand for secure AI computing could create opportunities for new infrastructure projects. The collaboration positions both companies to explore the growing intersection of AI infrastructure, energy availability and data sovereignty as governments and enterprises assess how to expand AI capabilities while maintaining greater control over critical systems. #proactiveinvestors #vivopowerinternationalplc #nasdaq #vvpr #AIInfrastructure #DataCenters #SovereignAI #ArtificialIntelligence #AIDataCenters #DataCenters #CloudComputing #Cybersecurity #DataSovereignty #AIInfrastructure #AbuDhabi