Strategic partnership with the startup AI5 and the AI chair at the University of Liège
Focus on AI through a unique AI ecosystem in Belgium, combining sovereign infrastructure, a generative AI platform, and partnerships in research and innovation. Large-scale AI, in a sovereign framework.
“We are at a turning point: the adoption of AI is no longer an option, it must be done within a sovereign and secure framework, serving organizations, their customers, and their employees.” Hence the idea of an ecosystem, explains Laurence Mathieu, CEO, NRB.
NRB’s AI ecosystem is based in particular on three sovereign data centers located in Belgium, guaranteeing the security of critical data; SophIA, a sovereign generative AI platform, already adopted by several major players from sensitive sectors; and strategic partnerships, such as the alliance with the Belgian start-up AI5 and the AI chair launched with the University of Liège.
In this sense, NRB’s position is unique: being present at every stage of the AI value chain, from fundamental research to the industrialization of tailor-made solutions, including the implementation of a data structure and governance adapted to each entity, and defending a sovereign, secure, and ethical approach.
Total independence from the Cloud Act
At the core, the first pillar is sovereign and secure infrastructure.
The three data center campuses are geo-resilient: located in Belgium, compliant with the strictest European regulations, and operated by 100% Belgian teams. These data centers already guarantee the sovereignty and security of critical information for many sensitive organizations.
The second pillar is SophIA, the sovereign generative AI platform. Beyond infrastructure, offering a sovereign solution is no longer an option. “SophIA integrates all the tools necessary for organizational transformation—conversational AI, intelligent agents, multi-agent systems—and allows us to design and
deploy tailor-made solutions adapted to our clients’ business needs,” continues Laurence Mathieu. Hosted in NRB’s sovereign data centers, SophIA guarantees total independence from the US Cloud Act and protects the most sensitive data.”
For organizations that favor a hybrid approach, SophIA can also be operated via hyperscaler infrastructures. This choice provides flexibility and freedom, while allowing companies and institutions to retain control over their strategic data.
The best of both worlds
The third pillar is partnerships in innovation and research. One such partnership is with the Liège-based startup AI5, which brings its capacity for innovation to the table. A true laboratory for experimentation and prototyping, AI5 offers an ideal environment for testing new products, exploring disruptive innovations, and quickly validating emerging uses.
“This partnership brings together the best of both worlds: the robustness and industrialization capacity of a large group, combined with the agility and creativity of a startup. Together, we will continuously innovate, rapidly deploy proven solutions, and scale them up. “
Rapid innovation and long-term
Based on the premise that the future of AI is built not only on rapid innovation, but also on long-term academic research, NRB and the University of Liège have created an AI chair within the Faculty of Applied Sciences, dedicated to large language models applied to software engineering.
This chair brings fundamental research closer to industrial needs by confronting the models developed by researchers with the concrete problems faced by companies. “NRB will be able to benefit from cutting-edge scientific advances and transform them into solutions tailored to its customers, while offering students an immersion in current industrial challenges,” says Laurence Mathieu.
This partnership illustrates NRB’s desire to build strong bridges between the academic and business worlds and to prepare today’s talent to shape the AI of tomorrow.
