SoftBank Group Corp. will be the first Nvidia Corp. client to build a supercomputer based on the chipmaker’s new Blackwell design, a move aimed at meeting growing demand from a country eager to catch up in artificial intelligence.

SoftBank’s telecommunications unit plans to build Japan’s most powerful AI supercomputer to support a wide range of local services, the two companies announced Wednesday. This computer will be based on Nvidia’s DGX B200 product, which combines computer processors with so-called AI accelerator chips. A follow-up effort will feature Grace Blackwell, a more advanced version.