Category: 3. Business

 

Today marks the start of CPhI Frankfurt, a huge trade show in Germany focused on the supply of pharmaceutical ingredients and other services to the drug industry. C&EN editor in chief Nick Perkins, life sciences editor Laura Howes, and reporter Aayushi Pratap are all there to meet drug outsourcing executives and take the pulse of the sector.

In advance of CPhI, Cambrex and Wilmington PharmaTech both just announced big investments in US plants that make active pharmaceutical ingredients. And the Portuguese pharmaceutical services firm Hovione says it has completed a $100 million investment in New Jersey (story below).

Let us know what you think of Business Watch. Email me, Michael McCoy, C&EN’s executive editor for business, at m_mccoy@acs.org.

Top stories from C&EN

• Dow is the largest US chemical producer. It’s also often the first major chemical company to release financial results every quarter and thus a bellwether for industry performance. Dow’s latest announcement shows that the sector is still in a bit of a rut.
• Burning coal releases a lot of carbon dioxide, and converting it into chemicals releases even more. But that isn’t stopping companies, mainly in China and India, from planning more coal-to-chemical facilities, according to a new report.
• The investment firm Flagship Pioneering is perhaps the premier incubator of new biotechnology companies. Its latest is Expedition Medicines, which uses artificial intelligence to further covalent chemistry as a way to modulate hard-to-drug proteins.

Business in brief

Kraton, Fibrant eye European plant closures

Kraton and Fibrant are the latest chemical companies announcing plans to close European plants in response to high costs and stiff foreign competition. Kraton intends to shutter production of hydrogenated styrenic block copolymers (HSBCs) at its site in Berre, France. The company has already begun consultation with works councils at the site. Kraton will continue to produce unsaturated styrenic block copolymers in Berre. The company says it is responding to global overcapacity for HSBCs. In 2022, Kraton announced a 30% expansion of its HSBC joint venture in Taiwan with Formosa Petrochemical. Separately, Fibrant plans to end production of the nylon 6 intermediate caprolactam at the Chemelot industrial park in Geleen, the Netherlands, according to published reports. The company, which is owned by the Chinese nylon producer Highsun Holding Group, tells C&EN that it is considering several strategic options, one of which is a major reorganization. “There are no decisions taken at this point in time,” it says.

—Alex Tullo

Braskem to expand ethylene, polyethylene in Brazil

The board of the Brazilian petrochemical maker Braskem has approved a project to expand annual capacity at its ethylene cracker and polyethylene plant in Rio de Janeiro, each by 220,000 metric tons (t). The company estimates that the project will cost about $800 million and be completed by the end of 2028. The complex, which started up in 2005 with 500,000 t per year of ethylene capacity, uses ethane as its feedstock and is one of Brazil’s lowest-cost petrochemical plants. Braskem has signed an agreement with the state oil company Petrobras for additional quantities of ethane.

—Alex Tullo

BASF and IFF partner on enzymes

The chemical firms BASF and International Flavors & Fragrances are collaborating on R&D around enzymes and biobased polymers for cleaning and personal care markets. The aim, according to a press release, is to improve the resource efficiency of each partner’s product lines. Both companies have leaned into enzymes in recent years. In 2021, IFF merged with the former DuPont nutrition and biosciences unit; it has since trimmed the combined company in favor of enzymes and biobased chemicals. In a similar vein, BASF is offering greater varieties and volumes of enzymes as active ingredients for laundry and home care products, though earlier this fall it expressed a desire to sell its animal feed enzyme business.

—Craig Bettenhausen

PureTech buys Cymer’s toll manufacturing site

The specialty chemical firm PureTech Scientific has purchased a toll manufacturing and R&D facility in Dayton, Tennessee, from the regional chemical manufacturer Cymer Chemicals. PureTech was formed in 2023 when the private equity firm Iron Path Capital bought Chemours’s glycolic acid business. PureTech says it will use part of the Dayton site to expand capacity and offer more grades of glycolic acid, which is used in skin care as a chemical exfoliant. PureTech will also continue to offer some contract manufacturing at the plant.

—Craig Bettenhausen

Symrise invests in biobased food and cosmetic chemicals

The flavor and fragrance ingredient firm Symrise has struck deals with two start-ups developing new ways to make ingredients for food and cosmetics. Symrise has invested an undisclosed sum in Cellibre, a US firm with precision fermentation technology for making flavors and cosmetic active ingredients. Symrise says the deal supports its ambition to use biotechnology across its operations. Separately, the firm is working with Aplantex on ways to access plant-based molecules as a raw material. Aplantex extracts polyphenols, flavonoids, and other molecules of interest from biomass grown in what it calls photosynthetic phytoreplicators.

—Michael McCoy

Quote of the week

Natural artificial trees are ready for Christmas

Balsam Hill, a producer of artificial Christmas trees, has teamed up with the polymer maker Braskem to offer trees fashioned from polyethylene that has been synthesized with ethylene derived from sugar cane. Every needle on the new Balsam Hill trees incorporates 95% biobased carbon content, “offering a life-like appearance while reducing reliance on non-renewable fossil-based resources in polymer production,” according to a press release. Balsam Hill and Braskem say the plant-based artificial trees are a world first.

—Michael McCoy

Hovione invests in spray-drying in New Jersey

The pharmaceutical services firm Hovione says it has spent $100 million to expand its operation in East Windsor, New Jersey. The facility spray-dries drug ingredients to create amorphous solid dispersions, which improve solubility and bioavailability. The Portuguese company says the new spray dryers will begin operating in the second quarter of 2026. The New Jersey facility opened in 2002, making Hovione one of the longest-established European pharmaceutical services firms in the US, CEO Jean-Luc Herbeaux says in a press release. Hovione says it has purchased land adjacent to the East Windsor site on which it can add new facilities for services such as spray-drying and drug tableting. Hovione is also investing at its sites in Ireland and Portugal.

—Michael McCoy

Novartis will acquire Avidity for $12 billion

The pharma giant Novartis has agreed to acquire Avidity Biosciences in a deal that values the company at about $12 billion. Novartis expects to complete the deal in the first half of 2026. Avidity is developing antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates (AOCs) as potential RNA therapeutics for rare genetic neuromuscular conditions such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy. AOCs use antibodies to deliver oligonucleotides to the transferrin receptor protein 1 (TfR1) expressed on muscle cells and correct disease-causing genetic mechanisms, Avidity says. Before the sale closes, Avidity will transfer its cardiology drug program to a new company that may be acquired by an existing Avidity partner.

—Sarah Braner

Lilly to buy gene therapy firm Adverum

Eli Lilly and Company will acquire Adverum Biotechnologies, a gene therapy company targeting eye disease. Lilly will gain access to Adverum’s lead candidate, Ixo-vec, which is being developed to treat wet age-related macular degeneration. The condition results from an overgrowth of blood vessels that damage the eye and cause vision loss. Ixo-vec is a single-administration injection meant to produce a consistent supply of aflibercept, a protein developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals that inhibits vessel growth. Lilly will pay up to $3.56 per share at closing, with the potential for up to $12.47 per share if certain milestones are reached.

—Sarah Braner

Zag Bio launches with $80 million to target the thymus

The venture firm Polaris Partners has unveiled its latest start-up: Zag Bio, which aims to treat autoimmune disorders with medicines that target the thymus—a small organ sandwiched between the lungs that’s responsible for making T cells. Zag is developing bifunctional antibodies that deliver antigens to the thymus so it can learn to recognize them and adjust its immune response accordingly through regulatory T cells, the backbone of this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The start-up’s lead drug candidate is designed to treat type 1 diabetes. The T1D Fund, a venture philanthropy firm, co-led an $80 million round with Polaris. The venture arms of AbbVie, Sanofi, and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals also backed the round.

—Rowan Walrath

Takeda buys rights to 2 China-invented molecules

Takeda Pharmaceutical has agreed to pay $1.2 billion to license two cancer drug candidates made by Innovent Biologics, a China-based drug firm. The funds include a $100 million investment in Innovent. Both drug candidates are in late-stage clinical development. Licensing molecules on the cusp of approval from Chinese firms is an increasingly common practice in the biopharmaceutical world. In this case, one is a bispecific antibody fusion protein designed to treat non-small-cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer; the other is an antibody-drug conjugate for gastric and pancreatic cancers. Takeda also has the option to license a third, earlier-stage medicine for markets outside mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

—Rowan Walrath

What we’re reading (and watching)

• Investors are pouring money into US companies seeking to develop rare earth minerals: Wall Street Journal
• It’s time to embrace alternatives to animal testing—or is it?: Nature
• Frequent flyers: Top drugmakers’ private jets descended on Washington, DC, more than 120 times this year, data show: Endpoints News
• Pharmaceutical executives held an online roundtable to talk about challenges in the small-molecule sector: CPhI Frankfurt

Targeted adjunctive intracoronary delivery of the low-dose recombinant tissue plasminogen activator alteplase does not improve microvascular obstruction or major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients undergoing primary PCI for a large territory STEMI and high thrombus burden, according to results from the STRIVE trial presented at TCT 2025 and simultaneously published in JACC.

In this multicenter trial, Shamir R. Mehta, MD, MSc, FACC, randomized 210 patients to receive alteplase 10 mg, alteplase 20 mg or placebo, which, after antegrade reperfusion was established, was administered directly into the infarct-related artery using a delivery catheter.

The primary outcome was the composite of MACE, distal embolization or failure to achieve ≥50% ST-segment resolution at 30 minutes post PCI, or myocardial blush grade 0/1. The authors defined MACE as the composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial reinfarction, cardiogenic shock or new onset heart failure at 30 days.

Of included patients, 207 (25% female, mean age of 63 years) patients received study drug: 68 patients received alteplase 10 mg, 69 received alteplase 20 mg and 70 received placebo. The median time from symptom onset to randomization was 2.9 hours.

In the two alteplase groups, the primary outcome occurred in 73 patients (53%) vs. 37 patients in the placebo group (relative risk 1.00; p>0.99). Results were consistent for each dose group vs. placebo, and for all components of the primary outcome. Additionally, during study drug administration, there was a trend to more episodes of ventricular fibrillation in the alteplase groups vs. the placebo group (10% vs. 1%; relative risk 6.86, p=0.06). Of note, across all groups, major or clinically significant bleeding occurred in one patient who received alteplase 20 mg.

Mehta and colleagues emphasize that “improving microvascular obstruction and subsequent clinical outcomes remains a major challenge for STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI with large thrombus burden.” Including these results, “no adjunctive therapy to date has improved outcomes once epicardial flow has been restored.” Finally, they write, “these data do not support the routine administration of this therapy in patients with STEMI.”

Clinical Topics:
Acute Coronary Syndromes, Invasive Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention, Interventions and ACS, Interventions and Imaging, Angiography, Nuclear Imaging

Keywords:
Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics, TCT25, Angiography, Acute Coronary Syndrome

AMSTERDAM – Stellantis today announced a new collaboration with NVIDIA, Uber Technologies, Inc., and Foxconn to explore the joint development and future deployment of Level 4 (driverless) autonomous vehicles for robotaxi services worldwide.

This initiative marks significant progress in Stellantis’ global robotaxi strategy, following its recently announced agreement with Pony.ai to test autonomous vehicles in Europe. Together, these efforts position Stellantis to play a significant role in the transition toward safe, efficient, and sustainable autonomous transportation.

Driving the Next Era of Mobility

Together, the companies intend to combine their strengths – Stellantis’ global vehicle engineering and manufacturing expertise, NVIDIA’s autonomous driving software and AI computing, Foxconn’s electronics and system integration capabilities, and Uber’s leadership in ride-hailing operations – to explore a new generation of Level 4 autonomous vehicles.

The collaboration will build on Stellantis’ AV-Ready Platforms – specifically the K0 Medium Size Van and STLA Small – powered by the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Hyperion 10 autonomous vehicle architecture, which includes the safety-certified NVIDIA DriveOS operating system and full-stack NVIDIA DRIVE AV software (NDAS) purpose-built for Level 4 autonomy. Stellantis AV-Ready platforms are designed for maximum flexibility to adapt to multiple passenger and commercial mobility use cases. 

Uber plans to deploy Stellantis autonomous vehicles in select cities worldwide, starting with 5,000 units, with initial operations beginning in the United States. Pilot programs and testing are expected to ramp up over the coming years, with Start of Production (SOP) targeted for 2028.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Stellantis will design, engineer, and manufacture autonomous vehicles based on its LCVs and STLA Small AV-Ready Platforms, integrating NVIDIA DRIVE AV software to enable Level 4 driverless capabilities.
• NVIDIA will provide its NVIDIA DRIVE AV software, including L4 Parking and L4 Driving capabilities based on the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Hyperion 10 architecture.
• Foxconn will collaborate with Stellantis on hardware and systems integration.
• Uber will operate the robotaxi services, expanding its fleet with Stellantis-built vehicles integrating NVIDIA DRIVE AV software.

Stellantis’ AV-Ready Platforms are engineered to support Level 4 capabilities through technology upgrades that efficiently integrate all key components, including system redundancies, advanced sensor suites, and high-performance computing, into a flexible and scalable architecture. The result is one of the most competitive platforms in the industry, optimized for safety and reliability, and total cost of ownership for service operators.

Executive Quotes

Antonio Filosa, CEO, Stellantis: “Autonomous mobility opens the door to new, more affordable transportation choices for customers. We have built AV-Ready Platforms to meet growing demand, and by partnering with leaders in AI, electronics, and mobility services, we aim to create a scalable solution that delivers smarter, safer, and more efficient mobility for everyone.”

Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO, Uber: “NVIDIA is the backbone of the AI era and is now fully harnessing that innovation to unleash L4 autonomy at enormous scale, with Stellantis among the first to integrate NVIDIA’s technology for deployment on Uber. We are thrilled to work with Stellantis to bring thousands of their autonomous vehicles to riders around the world.”

Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO, NVIDIA: “Level 4 autonomy isn’t just a milestone for the auto industry – it’s a leap in AI capability. The vehicle becomes a robot – one that sees, perceives, plans, and drives with superhuman precision. By combining Stellantis’ global scale with NVIDIA DRIVE and Foxconn’s system integration, we’re creating a new class of purpose-built robotaxi fleets – making transportation safer, more accessible, and more affordable for everyone.”

Young Liu, Chairman, Foxconn: “Autonomous mobility is a strategic priority within Foxconn’s EV program. The strategic partnerships and strengths across NVIDIA, Stellantis, and Uber accelerate the deployment of Level 4 robotaxi technology, with Foxconn delivering HPC, sensor integration to enable a global rollout.”

About the Collaboration

The non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishes the framework for future agreements covering technology development, licensing, production, and vehicle procurement. Each company retains the flexibility to pursue additional collaborations in the autonomous driving space.

This new initiative complements Stellantis’ recent partnership with Pony.ai, announced earlier this month, to co-develop and test Level 4 autonomous vehicles in Europe – a first step toward deploying robotaxi services on European roads.

 

 

About Stellantis

Stellantis N.V. (NYSE: STLA / Euronext Milan: STLAM / Euronext Paris: STLAP) is a leading global automaker, dedicated to giving its customers the freedom to choose the way they move, embracing the latest technologies and creating value for all its stakeholders. Its unique portfolio of iconic and innovative brands includes Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS Automobiles, FIAT, Jeep_®, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, Vauxhall, Free2move and Leasys. For more information, visit www.stellantis.com.

 

 

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News Summary:

• NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Hyperion 10 is a reference compute and sensor architecture that makes any vehicle level 4-ready, enabling automakers and developers to build safe, scalable, AI-defined fleets.
• Uber will bring together human riders and robot drivers in a worldwide ride-hailing network powered by DRIVE AGX Hyperion-ready vehicles.
• Stellantis, Lucid and Mercedes-Benz are collaborating on level 4-ready autonomous vehicles compatible with DRIVE AGX Hyperion 10 for passenger mobility, while Aurora, Volvo Autonomous Solutions and Waabi extend level 4 autonomy to long-haul freight.
• Uber will begin scaling its global autonomous fleet starting in 2027, targeting 100,000 vehicles and supported by a joint AI data factory built on the NVIDIA Cosmos platform.
• NVIDIA and Uber continue to support a growing level 4 ecosystem that includes Avride, May Mobility, Momenta, Nuro, Pony.ai, Wayve and WeRide.
• NVIDIA launches the Halos Certified Program, the industry’s first system to evaluate and certify physical AI safety for autonomous vehicles and robotics.

GTC Washington, D.C.—NVIDIA today announced it is partnering with Uber to scale the world’s largest level 4-ready mobility network, using the company’s next-generation robotaxi and autonomous delivery fleets, the new NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Hyperion™ 10 autonomous vehicle (AV) development platform and NVIDIA DRIVE™ AV software purpose-built for L4 autonomy.

By enabling faster growth across the level 4 ecosystem, NVIDIA can support Uber in scaling its global autonomous fleet to 100,000 vehicles over time, starting in 2027. These vehicles will be developed in collaboration with NVIDIA and other Uber ecosystem partners, using NVIDIA DRIVE. NVIDIA and Uber are also working together to develop a data factory accelerated by the NVIDIA Cosmos™ world foundation model development platform to curate and process data needed for autonomous vehicle development.

NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Hyperion 10 is a reference production computer and sensor set architecture that makes any vehicle L4-ready. It enables automakers to build cars, trucks and vans equipped with validated hardware and sensors that can host any compatible autonomous-driving software, providing a unified foundation for safe, scalable and AI-defined mobility.

Uber is bringing together human drivers and autonomous vehicles into a single operating network — a unified ride-hailing service including both human and robot drivers. This network, powered by NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Hyperion-ready vehicles and the surrounding AI ecosystem, enables Uber to seamlessly bridge today’s human-driven mobility with the autonomous fleets of tomorrow.

“Robotaxis mark the beginning of a global transformation in mobility — making transportation safer, cleaner and more efficient,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “Together with Uber, we’re creating a framework for the entire industry to deploy autonomous fleets at scale, powered by NVIDIA AI infrastructure. What was once science fiction is fast becoming an everyday reality.”

“NVIDIA is the backbone of the AI era, and is now fully harnessing that innovation to unleash L4 autonomy at enormous scale, while making it easier for NVIDIA-empowered AVs to be deployed on Uber,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber. “Autonomous mobility will transform our cities for the better, and we’re thrilled to partner with NVIDIA to help make that vision a reality.”

NVIDIA DRIVE Level 4 Ecosystem Grows

Leading global automakers, robotaxi companies and tier 1 suppliers are already working with NVIDIA and Uber to launch level 4 fleets with NVIDIA AI behind the wheel.

Stellantis is developing AV-Ready Platforms, specifically optimized to support level 4 capabilities and meet robotaxi requirements. These platforms will integrate NVIDIA’s full-stack AI technology, further expanding connectivity with Uber’s global mobility ecosystem. Stellantis is also collaborating with Foxconn on hardware and systems integration.

Lucid is advancing level 4 autonomous capabilities for its next-generation passenger vehicles, also using full-stack NVIDIA AV software on the DRIVE Hyperion platform for its upcoming U.S. models.

Mercedes-Benz is testing future collaboration with industry-leading partners powered by its proprietary operation system MB.OS and DRIVE AGX Hyperion. Building on its legacy of innovation, the new S-Class offers an exceptional chauffeured level 4 experience combining luxury, safety and cutting-edge autonomy.

NVIDIA and Uber will continue to support and accelerate shared partners across the worldwide level 4 ecosystem developing their software stacks on the NVIDIA DRIVE level 4 platform, including Avride, May Mobility, Momenta, Nuro, Pony.ai, Wayve and WeRide.

In trucking, Aurora, Volvo Autonomous Solutions and Waabi are developing level 4 autonomous trucks powered by the NVIDIA DRIVE platform. Their next-generation systems, built on NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Thor, will accelerate Volvo’s upcoming L4 fleet, extending the reach of end-to-end NVIDIA AI infrastructure from passenger mobility to long-haul freight.

NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Hyperion 10: The Common Platform for L4-Ready Vehicles

The NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Hyperion 10 production platform features the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Thor system-on-a-chip; the safety-certified NVIDIA DriveOS™ operating system; a fully qualified multimodal sensor suite including 14 high-definition cameras; nine radars, one lidar and 12 ultrasonics; and a qualified board design.

DRIVE AGX Hyperion 10 is modular and customizable, allowing manufacturers and AV developers to tailor it to their unique requirements. By offering a prequalified sensor suite architecture, the platform also accelerates development, lowers costs and gives customers a running start with access to NVIDIA’s rigorous development expertise and investments in automotive engineering and safety.

At the core of DRIVE AGX Hyperion 10 are two performance-packed DRIVE AGX Thor in-vehicle platforms based on NVIDIA Blackwell architecture. Each delivering more than 2,000 FP4 teraflops (1,000 TOPS of INT8) of real-time compute, DRIVE AGX Thor fuses diverse, 360-degree sensor inputs and is optimized for transformer, vision language action (VLA) models and generative AI workloads — enabling safe, level 4 autonomous driving backed by industry-leading safety certifications and cybersecurity standards.

In addition, DRIVE AGX’s scalability and compatibility with existing AV software lets companies seamlessly integrate and deploy future upgrades from the platform across robotaxi and autonomous mobility fleets via over-the-air updates.

Generative AI and Foundation Models Transform Autonomy

NVIDIA’s autonomous driving approach taps into foundation AI models, large language models and generative AI, trained on trillions of real and synthetic driving miles. These advanced models allow self-driving systems to solve highly complex urban driving situations with humanlike reasoning and adaptability.

New reasoning VLA models combine visual understanding, natural language reasoning and action generation to enable human-level understanding in AVs. By running reasoning VLA models in the vehicle, the AV can interpret nuanced and unpredictable real-world conditions — such as sudden changes in traffic flow, unstructured intersections and unpredictable human behavior — in real time. AV toolchain leader Foretellix is collaborating with NVIDIA to integrate its Foretify Physical AI toolchain with NVIDIA DRIVE for testing and validating these models.

To enable the industry to develop and evaluate these large models for autonomous driving, NVIDIA is also releasing the world’s largest multimodal AV dataset. Comprising 1,700 hours of real-world camera, radar and lidar data across 25 countries, the dataset is designed to bolster development, post-training and validation of foundation models for autonomous driving.

NVIDIA Halos Sets New Standards in Vehicle Safety and Certification

The NVIDIA Halos system delivers state-of-the-art safety guardrails from cloud to car, establishing a holistic framework to enable safe, scalable autonomous mobility.

The NVIDIA Halos AI Systems Inspection Lab, dedicated to AI safety and cybersecurity across automotive and robotics, performs independent evaluations and oversees the new Halos Certified Program, helping ensure products and systems meet rigorous criteria for trusted physical AI deployments.

Companies such as AUMOVIO, Bosch, Nuro and Wayve are among the inaugural members of the NVIDIA Halos AI System Inspection Lab — the industry’s first to be accredited by the ANSI Accreditation Board. The lab aims to accelerate the safe, large-scale deployment of Level 4 automated driving and other AI-powered systems.

Learn more about how NVIDIA and partners are advancing AI innovation in the U.S. by watching the NVIDIA GTC Washington, D.C., keynote by Huang.

News Summary

• Palantir is integrating NVIDIA accelerated computing, NVIDIA CUDA-X libraries and open-source NVIDIA Nemotron models into its Ontology framework at the core of the Palantir AI Platform.
• Lowe’s is pioneering operational AI for its supply chain logistics with Palantir and NVIDIA.
  
   

GTC Washington, D.C.—NVIDIA today announced a collaboration with Palantir Technologies Inc. to build a first-of-its-kind integrated technology stack for operational AI — including analytics capabilities, reference workflows, automation features and customizable, specialized AI agents — to accelerate and optimize complex enterprise and government systems.

Palantir Ontology, at the core of the Palantir AI Platform (AIP), will integrate NVIDIA GPU-accelerated data processing and route optimization libraries, open models and accelerated computing. This combination of Ontology and NVIDIA AI will support customers by providing the advanced, context-aware reasoning necessary for operational AI.

Enterprises using the customizable technology stack will be able to tap into their data to power domain-specific automations and AI agents for the sophisticated operating environments of retailers, healthcare providers, financial services and the public sector.

“Palantir and NVIDIA share a vision: to put AI into action, turning enterprise data into decision intelligence,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “By combining Palantir’s powerful AI-driven platform with NVIDIA CUDA-X accelerated computing and Nemotron open AI models, we’re creating a next-generation engine to fuel AI-specialized applications and agents that run the world’s most complex industrial and operational pipelines.”

“Palantir is focused on deploying AI that delivers immediate, asymmetric value to our customers,” said Alex Karp, cofounder and CEO of Palantir Technologies. “We are proud to partner with NVIDIA to fuse our AI-driven decision intelligence systems with the world’s most advanced AI infrastructure.”

Lowe’s Pioneers AI-Driven Logistics With Palantir and NVIDIA

Lowe’s, among the first to tap this integrated technology stack from Palantir and NVIDIA, is creating a digital replica of its global supply chain network to enable dynamic and continuous AI optimization. This technology can support supply chain agility while boosting cost savings and customer satisfaction.

“Modern supply chains are incredibly complex, dynamic systems, and AI will be critical to helping Lowe’s adapt and optimize quickly amid constantly changing conditions,” said Seemantini Godbole, executive vice president and chief digital and information officer at Lowe’s. “Even small shifts in demand can create ripple effects across the global network. By combining Palantir technologies with NVIDIA AI, Lowe’s is reimagining retail logistics, enabling us to serve customers better every day.”

Advancing Operational Intelligence

Palantir AIP workloads run in the most complex compliance domains and require the highest standards of privacy and data security. The Ontology at the heart of AIP creates a digital replica of an organization by organizing complex data and logic into interconnected virtual objects, links and actions that represent real-world concepts and their relationships.

Together, this provides enterprises with an intelligent, AI-enabled operating system that drives efficiency through business process automation.

To advance enterprise intelligence for the era of AI, NVIDIA data processing, AI software, open models and accelerated computing are now natively integrated with and available through Ontology and AIP. Customers can use NVIDIA CUDA-X™ data science libraries for data processing, paired with NVIDIA accelerated computing, via Ontology to drive real-time, AI-driven decision-making for complex, business-critical workflows.

The NVIDIA AI Enterprise platform, including NVIDIA cuOpt™ decision optimization software, will enable enterprises to use AI for dynamic supply-chain management.

NVIDIA Nemotron™ reasoning and NVIDIA NeMo Retriever™ open models will enable enterprises to rapidly build AI agents informed by Ontology.

NVIDIA and Palantir are also working to bring the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture to Palantir AIP. This will accelerate the end-to-end AI pipeline, from data processing and analytics to model development and fine-tuning to production AI, using long-thinking, reasoning agents. Enterprises will be able to run AIP in NVIDIA AI factories for optimized acceleration.

Palantir AIP will also be supported in the new NVIDIA AI Factory for Government reference design, announced separately today.

At NVIDIA GTC Washington, D.C., attendees can register to join Palantir and NVIDIA for a hands-on workshop on operationalizing AI, taking place Wednesday, Oct. 29, from 3:15–5:00 p.m. ET.

Learn more about how NVIDIA and partners are advancing AI innovation in the U.S. by watching the NVIDIA GTC Washington, D.C., keynote by Huang.