#UAE #SovereignAI - Abu Dhabi-based sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure company Core42 has signed a memorandum of understanding with Assolombarda, the largest industrial association within Italy’s Confindustria system. The agreement promotes AI adoption and sovereign cloud among Assolombarda’s 7,158 member companies, which employ more than 440,000 people. It centres on forgIA, a secure industrial data-sharing environment. Core42 will share expertise and connect members with the wider G42 ecosystem. No financial terms were disclosed.
SO WHAT? - Italian manufacturers want AI without handing their data and intellectual property to others. Core42 sell sovereign AI cloud platforms that provide control over data alongside access to powerful AI compute. The MoU commits neither side to spending, so this is a door-opener rather than a contract. However, the new agreement gives Core42 a direct line to thousands of industrial firms in one of Europe’s biggest manufacturing regions, and it gives Lombardy’s companies a route to world-class sovereign cloud infrastructure.
KEY POINTS:
Core42 has signed an MoU with Assolombarda, setting up a knowledge-sharing framework to promote AI adoption and sovereign enabled cloud infrastructure across the industrial base of Italy’s Lombardy region.
Assolombarda is the largest association in Italy’s Confindustria System and represents 7,158 companies across Milan, Monza and Brianza, Lodi and Pavia, with a network of more than 440,000 people.
The focus is forgIA, Assolombarda’s secure, interoperable industrial data environment. It’s designed to enable data sharing and industry-specific AI applications while protecting data sovereignty and intellectual property.
Core42 will share expertise in secure sovereign cloud and AI architecture, supporting forgIA’s approach to data governance, confidentiality and value chain security. It will draw on deployments in the UAE and beyond.
The partners will explore a dedicated forgIA channel where members can access Core42’s technical expertise, including workshops and guidance on evaluating sovereign AI and cloud approaches.
A knowledge-sharing programme of roundtables, webinars and forums will address industrial data management and cybersecurity.
The MoU also provides networking between Assolombarda members and technology companies across the wider G42 ecosystem, linking Italian firms with UAE partners and capabilities.
Assolombarda has been expanding in the UAE since January 2026, when it opened a space within the Hub for Made in Italy in Abu Dhabi. It plans an operational office in Dubai.
ZOOM OUT - The UAE has worked hard to forge technology cooperation and investment ties with Italy. In February 2025, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni witnessed more than 40 agreements in Rome, alongside a UAE pledge to invest $40 billion in Italy. AI, data centres, space research and renewable energy were priorities. The two governments agreed to cooperate on digital infrastructure, including plans for an AI Factory in Italy. MGX, G42, Khazna and Italian energy company ENI will develop data centre capacity, with a target of 2GW.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
Source: Core42