Scaleway announced the acquisition of Qarnot, a European specialist in high-performance computing for engineering, simulation, and research workloads. The acquisition adds dedicated high-performance computing capabilities to Scaleway’s Cloud & AI platform. Scaleway said the deal strengthens its position as a sovereign European cloud provider offering cloud, AI, and dedicated HPC capabilities within a single platform.

Qarnot’s technology is designed for compute-intensive workloads used across sectors such as aerospace, automotive, energy, manufacturing, life sciences, engineering, and financial services. High-performance computing supports complex simulations, modeling, validation cycles, and research workloads that are increasingly important for industrial competitiveness.

The deal brings together two European companies focused on technological independence, open technologies, and more sustainable computing infrastructure. Scaleway and Qarnot both operate in Europe under European jurisdiction, which Scaleway said supports customers with digital sovereignty needs.

The companies also share a focus on open infrastructure. Scaleway and Qarnot use Open Compute Project standards to guide infrastructure design and operations, supporting interoperability and reducing customer dependence on proprietary technologies.

Qarnot also brings expertise in waste heat recovery. The company uses patented direct liquid-cooling technology that can recover up to 95% of heat produced by HPC servers and redirect it to district heating networks, public facilities, and industrial sites without affecting computing performance.

Qarnot’s heat reuse model has already been deployed in real-world environments. This includes a project in Brescia, Italy, where Qarnot partnered with A2A to connect HPC infrastructure to the city’s district heating network, as well as wellness and aquatic centers where server-generated heat contributes to heating water.

For Scaleway, the acquisition supports its goal of building European cloud and AI infrastructure that delivers more compute while making better use of the energy it consumes. As demand for cloud, AI, and HPC grows, Scaleway said excess heat reuse represents a major opportunity for more responsible infrastructure growth.

Qarnot’s HPC platform is already used by industrial and financial organizations running complex simulations and other intensive workloads. Customers include MaiaSpace, Alpine Racing, Natixis, and ATR Aircraft.

The platform enables teams to launch simulations, iterate designs faster, shorten validation cycles from days to hours, and scale on demand for workloads that may otherwise be constrained by internal clusters. With Scaleway’s European reach and the backing of iliad Group, Qarnot’s capabilities are expected to become available to a broader range of organizations.

Scaleway is a subsidiary of iliad Group and provides a sovereign cloud and AI platform focused on secure, transparent, open, and sustainable infrastructure. The company offers cloud services including virtual machines, data management, cloud-native infrastructure, and AI-optimized supercomputers.

Qarnot provides a sovereign European HPC-as-a-service platform designed for engineers in strategic industries such as aerospace, energy, and automotive. The company’s infrastructure is fully operated in Europe and is designed to support data security, compliance, and lower-carbon computing through heat reuse technology.

KEY QUOTES:

“The next frontier isn’t just more efficient compute. It’s making sure the energy we can’t avoid consuming creates value twice. Tomorrow’s cloud platforms won’t only be measured by the performance they deliver, but by how intelligently they use the energy they consume. Qarnot’s expertise in waste heat recovery helps us move towards that future.”

Damien Lucas, CEO of Scaleway

“Joining Scaleway gives Qarnot the backing of a major European cloud provider and the iliad Group. It gives us the scale, investment capacity and European reach to bring our HPC expertise to more organisations while continuing to build on the principles that shaped Qarnot from the beginning.”

Clément Pellegrini, CTO of Qarnot