AI workloads are radically changing how data center networks must operate. The performance, scale, and accuracy required to support large-scale AI training and real-time distributed inference place unprecedented demands on network infrastructure. To meet these challenges, Nokia is taking a new approach to integrating, testing, and deploying technologies from the ground up for the AI era.
The AI Networking Innovation Lab provides an environment where emerging commercial technologies can be developed and validated. At the lab, Nokia brings together advanced AI networking protocols, cutting-edge hardware platforms and switching chips, and new architectural concepts designed specifically for AI-powered data centers. These technologies are tested and accelerated in close collaboration with a global ecosystem of partners.
The AI Networking Innovation Lab is built on three fundamental pillars: technology innovation, ecosystem collaboration, and validation.
Technology innovation: The lab provides a dedicated space for AI partners to experiment with next-generation solutions across the entire network stack, driving emerging standards with pioneering approaches to new protocols, switching chips, congestion control, real-time telemetry, and automation.
“Our collaboration with Nokia at the AI Networking Innovation Lab has allowed us to evaluate and optimize AI networks under real-world conditions. Keysight emulated large-scale AI training workloads across a wide range of AI transports, from UEC and RoCEv2 to emerging lossless fabric architectures. Together, we are helping to accelerate the adoption of AI networks by providing operators and hyperscalers with the validated information needed for confident, large-scale deployment,” said Ram Periakaruppan, vice president and general manager of Keysight’s Network Applications and Security business.
Ecosystem collaboration: True progress depends on a robust ecosystem of technology providers—semiconductor manufacturers, GPU developers, system providers, storage and testing solutions, and cloud platforms—working together to create highly compatible, AI-ready solutions. This facilitates joint interoperability testing, improves integration, and ensures that roadmaps are aligned across different hardware, software, and orchestration layers.
“AMD believes that collaboration with customers and an open ecosystem are fundamental to accelerating AI innovation. By co-developing solutions with partners, such as Nokia at its AI Networking Innovation Lab, we ensure that our AMD enterprise AI solutions are tested on Nokia data center switches under real-world network workloads and demands. An open, standards-based approach allows customers to seamlessly integrate into heterogeneous environments, avoiding bottlenecks and fostering the advancement of AI across the industry,” said Travis Karr, corporate vice president of HPC and sovereign AI at AMD.
Validation: This positions the lab as the proving ground for Nokia Validated Designs (NVDs), where customers and partners rigorously validate multi-vendor data center architectures under authentic AI training and inference workloads. By testing failure scenarios, congestion behavior, and operational automation, the lab transforms NVDs into proven, deployable solutions, enabling predictable performance, faster deployment, and reduced operational complexity and risk for organizations navigating the AI era.
“Nokia is a strategic networking partner for Nscale on our journey to AI Grid, and the engineering rigor behind its validated designs reflects the kind of innovation needed to enable next-generation AI infrastructure. The depth of hardware, software, and fault testing behind those blueprints is what will give operators the confidence to deploy complex AI environments faster, with less integration risk and fewer operational disruptions. We are excited to collaborate on the AI Networking Innovation Lab to help push the boundaries of AI-native networks and validate the next generation of solutions before they go into production,” said Arno van Huyssteen, Vice President of Global Telecoms at Nscale.
The AI Networking Innovation Lab supports Nokia's overall strategy to accelerate the next era of AI-powered connectivity. As demand for AI infrastructure continues to grow, data center networks have become one of the most critical pillars of the global AI ecosystem. Through this investment, Nokia is strengthening its AI and cloud infrastructure capabilities while advancing its vision for AI-native networks.
“The launch of Nokia’s AI Networking Innovation Lab marks a significant milestone in our commitment to driving the next era of AI-native connectivity. As the industry continues to evolve with solutions like Scale-Across and AI-Grid, this lab is poised to accelerate AI networking technology that will not only support but also optimize these emerging industry offerings. This center provides our customers and partners with early access to new technologies, deeper collaboration with key players in the global AI ecosystem, and the confidence that their networks are validated under more realistic AI conditions. By accelerating innovation and reducing deployment risks, we are enabling the industry to deliver faster, more reliable, and more sustainable AI experiences to people and businesses around the world,” said Rudy Hoebeke, Vice President of Software Product Management at Nokia.
