Published 01/31/2026
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), in partnership with the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Central Virginia Node (CCI CVN), has launched a new AI Testbed designed to expand access to advanced computing power and accelerate artificial intelligence research, experimentation, and real-world application development.
The AI Testbed is a high-performance computing system built for applications that rely on massive parallel processing and data-intensive workloads. It provides an environment with exceptional speed and throughput, allowing users to experiment with state-of-the-art AI architectures, run high-fidelity simulations, and manage large-scale training and analytics pipelines. By offering this level of computational power, the testbed helps bridge the gap between theoretical research and practical, high-performance AI applications.
The AI Testbed will support both researchers and students, providing opportunities to develop, test, and refine advanced AI models while gaining hands-on experience with enterprise-grade infrastructure. It is open to collaborators from a wide range of disciplines, though it primarily supports those working in areas aligned with CCI CVN’s focus, including smart cities, biomedical device security, and other applied AI and cybersecurity initiatives.
During its initial launch phase, access to the AI Testbed will be available to VCU researchers with ongoing projects supported by CCI CVN. Interested researchers are required to complete an interest form to request access. The system is accessible remotely via SSH (Secure Shell) and requires users to be connected to the VCU network. This access model also supports collaboration with CVN partners beyond VCU, provided a VCU-affiliated user is included on the project and serves as the primary testbed user.
Beyond its impact on campus, the AI Testbed is expected to strengthen Richmond’s broader innovation ecosystem by enabling research, experimentation, and rapid prototyping. By supporting the development of real-world AI solutions, the testbed aims to drive technological advancement and contribute to economic growth across Central Virginia.
“Now we have state-of-the-art H-100 GPUs to do all kinds of AI inference, training, and testing,” said Erdem Topsakal, Ph.D., Executive Director of CCI CVN. This AI testbed will support everything from training and testing to hands-on learning, and we’re ready for researchers to begin accessing it.”
The launch of the AI Testbed represents a significant investment in research infrastructure and workforce development at VCU, reinforcing CVN’s commitment to advancing applied AI and cybersecurity innovation. To learn more about the AI Testbed, access details, and future opportunities, visit the AI Testbed webpage on the CVN website.
