NVIDIA plans massive tech campus in Israel, boosting AI innovation

NVIDIA, the global chip giant that briefly became the most valuable company ever (3.92 trillion dollars) last week due to its stock price, announced on Sunday its intention to acquire land spanning up to 120 dunams (29 acres) in northern Israel – a move interpreted as a clear step toward establishing a new technological campus in the country. The move comes less than a decade after its acquisition of Israeli-based Mellanox, also in northern Israel, which transformed the entire AI industry and made the AI revolution possible.

According to information obtained by Israel Hayom, the planned center could accommodate at least 3,000 employees, with the project expected to unfold over several years.

This significant announcement comes from a company regarded as an international titan in the semiconductor industry, leading the charge in the global race for artificial intelligence advancements. NVIDIA's market value makes it as one of the world's largest and most influential corporations.

In its request for information, NVIDIA specified it is seeking a contiguous plot of land for purchase, ranging from 17 to 29 acres, with building rights for up to 180,000 square meters (1.9 million feet). The desired location is in northern Israel, near the company's existing offices in Yokneam, which currently house most of its local workforce.

The geographical boundaries outlined by NVIDIA include the area between Highway 67, Highway 73, Highway 781, and the Coastal Highway. The company emphasized that the land must be designated for high-tech use, with "high transportation accessibility" and proximity to major traffic routes and public transportation.

NVIDIA further stressed that the requested land must be available for immediate construction, purchase, and allocation.

The company's international stature lends particular significance to this real estate move. NVIDIA produces, among other things, the world's most advanced graphics processing units (GPUs), essential for training and developing AI models. Its H100 and A100 chips are considered the "digital gold" of the AI era, critical for creating advanced AI systems like ChatGPT or Claude.

NVIDIA's operations are at the center of geopolitical tensions between the United States and China in the realm of advanced technologies. The Trump administration imposed restrictions on the export of advanced chips, including to China, forcing NVIDIA to navigate complex economic and political pressures to sustain its rapidly growing global business, fueled by increasing investments in AI development.

In this context, NVIDIA's additional investment in Israel carries dual strategic importance – it strengthens the technological alliance between Israel and the United States while diversifying the company's development base in a region friendly to the Trump administration.

In 2023, NVIDIA's Israeli team developed the Israel-1 supercomputer using the NVIDIA Spectrum-X platform, also created in Israel. Last month, this supercomputer was ranked among the world's best in the prestigious TOP-500 list.

If realized, the new campus will complement NVIDIA's existing Yokneam facility and is likely to become the company's largest development hub outside the United States, further solidifying Israel's position as a leading global technology center.