Nvidia GTC Berlin: Huang unveils 14-day 'AI factory' pods and $10bn Europe push
At GTC Berlin, Nvidia unveiled DSX POD containerised Vera Rubin data centres, a security design for AI agents and new car and robot partners, and said it has committed nearly $10 billion in Europe.
At a glance
- Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang used the GTC Berlin keynote on October 21 to launch DSX POD, a design for complete Vera Rubin AI data centres built inside shipping-style containers.
- Nvidia says a DSX POD can be installed on site in 14 days instead of about six months; partners including Dell, HPE, Gigabyte, Delta and QCT will deliver them from early 2027.
- The company also released OpenShell, a reference security architecture to keep AI agents within company rules, and said it has committed nearly $10 billion to Europe's tech ecosystem.
- Mercedes-Benz, Volvo Cars, JLR and Volkswagen's van division will build next-generation vehicles compatible with Nvidia's Hyperion self-driving platform.
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang told Europe on Wednesday, October 21, that it must become a producer of artificial intelligence rather than just a consumer, as he unveiled a container-based design that the company says can put a complete AI data centre on site in 14 days. Speaking at the company's GTC Berlin conference, Huang also launched a security blueprint for AI agents, named new car and robot partners, and said Nvidia has committed nearly $10 billion to Europe's technology sector.
What happened
The headline launch was DSX POD, a reference design for "AI factories" built on Nvidia's new Vera Rubin chips. Instead of constructing a data hall over many months, partners build and test the computing equipment in a factory, fit it into containers and ship it by truck. Nvidia says on-site deployment drops from about six months to 14 days once power, water and network connections are ready. Each container reportedly holds seven Vera Rubin NVL72 racks plus networking, cooling and management hardware.
| Announcement | What it is | Key detail |
|---|---|---|
| DSX POD | Containerised Vera Rubin AI data centre | 14-day installation; partners ship from early 2027 |
| DSX AI Factory platform | Data-centre design | Up to 30% less power for the same output; cooling water use cut by up to 100% |
| OpenShell reference architecture | Security design for AI agents | Policy-controlled runtime with kernel-level sandboxing; available now |
| Agile ONE SN | Reference humanoid robot on Isaac GR00T | 31 degrees of freedom; due next year |
| RTX Spark laptops | Slim Windows AI PCs | 1 petaflop, 128GB memory |
| Hyperion partners | Self-driving platform | Mercedes-Benz, Volvo Cars, JLR, VW Commercial Vehicles |
Nvidia will not build or sell DSX PODs itself. Dell, HPE, Gigabyte, Delta and QCT are among the manufacturers that will. The company also set out supply targets for the next three years, including a 2.5-fold rise in chip substrate capacity and a fourfold rise in advanced packaging by the end of 2028.
Background
Nvidia is the world's most valuable chipmaker, and demand for its processors has driven a global data-centre building boom. The bottleneck has shifted from chips to the time it takes to build facilities, connect power and install cooling — the problem DSX POD is meant to solve.
Europe has lagged the US and China in AI computing capacity, and governments from Germany to France have promised "sovereign AI" so that sensitive data and key models stay under European control. Huang has toured the continent repeatedly to pitch Nvidia hardware for that effort. In Berlin he named L'Oréal, Revolut, Spotify, Merck, Vodafone, Zara, Porsche, Nestlé and HSBC among European companies using its technology, and showed Siemens' Erlangen factory using AI agents and digital twins.
Reactions
"Every company in Europe will become an AI company," Huang said. On AI agents — software that takes actions on its own — he said "the most important thing is to make sure the agent is secure", explaining that each agent may need different permissions every time it runs. OpenShell is designed to sit outside the AI application and block it if it breaks company policy.
The keynote came as investors question how long the AI spending boom can last. US and Asian technology shares fell this week, and chip stocks were among the hardest hit on Thursday.
Why it matters
Faster, factory-built data centres could lower the cost and time of adding AI capacity, especially in countries without decades of data-centre experience. That matters beyond Europe: Gulf states, India and Pakistan have all announced plans for national AI computing, and Pakistan has set aside 2,000 megawatts of power for data centres and crypto mining. Modular designs make such projects easier to start — though they still need reliable electricity and cooling, which remain the biggest hurdles in South Asia.
For drivers, the car announcements mean more European models will ship with hardware ready for higher levels of automated driving.
What happens next
The first DSX PODs are due from partners in early 2027, and the Agile ONE SN humanoid is expected next year. Nvidia reports its next quarterly results in late November, when investors will look for signs that Vera Rubin demand is holding up.
Questions people are asking
What did Nvidia announce at GTC Berlin 2026?
Nvidia announced DSX POD, a containerised design for Vera Rubin AI data centres that can be installed in 14 days, the OpenShell security architecture for AI agents, new open AI models, a reference humanoid robot and new self-driving car partners in Europe.
What is Nvidia DSX POD?
DSX POD is a reference design for a complete AI data centre built in modular containers by Nvidia's partners. Each unit reportedly holds seven Vera Rubin NVL72 racks with networking and cooling, and partners plan to ship them worldwide from early 2027.
How much is Nvidia investing in Europe?
Nvidia says it has committed nearly $10 billion to Europe's technology ecosystem, through startups and partnerships, and that it works with more than 12,000 partners across the continent.
