Brasilia, Aug. 21, 2026 (Lusa) - On Thursday, the Brazilian government announced an investment package worth 2.2 billion reais (€375.7 million) to expand the country's artificial intelligence infrastructure, including a new supercomputer and cloud storage.
The measures form part of the Brazilian Artificial Intelligence Plan (PBIA), which provides for investments totalling 23 billion reais (€4.62 billion) between 2024 and 2028.
According to the Brazilian government, the plan aims to increase processing capacity and strengthen domestic technological infrastructure.
One of the key initiatives will be the acquisition of a supercomputer, with an estimated investment of around one billion reais (€165 million), expected to reach 7,200 petaflops and rank among the world's top ten machines for AI processing capacity.
The Augusto Severo Technology Park, part of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, will host the equipment, with operations scheduled to begin in late 2027 and capacity made available to businesses, universities, scientific institutions and governments.
Another initiative involves a supercomputing infrastructure in Rio de Janeiro, through a partnership between the National Education and Research Network and the Chinese firms Huawei and iFlytek, with investments totalling 1,276 billion reais (€210.66 million) over five years.
«The initiative will expand the processing capacity available in the country and provide for technology transfer, research and development partnerships, the training of professionals and the development of a sovereign software stack,» states a press release from the Brazilian government.
The government has also announced the creation of a ‘Brazilian Cloud', a public-private partnership aimed at establishing a national alternative for data storage and processing, strengthening technological self-sufficiency and boosting Brazilian companies.
During the announcement of the investments, President Lula da Silva stated that the aim is to position Brazil in the global race for the artificial intelligence market.
«Today, the United States accounts for 65% of the entire artificial intelligence sector. China is likely to account for around 15 or 20% (…) because we want to tell the world that we are as capable as the Chinese and the Americans. We are going to enter this market,» he declared.
Lula also said that other Brazilian states were vying to host the supercomputer, but that he had opted for Rio Grande do Norte, in the north-east of the country, on the grounds of regional inequality.
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