Large Language Models are becoming core research tools, yet dependence on commercial APIs raises issues of privacy, compliance, and long-term cost. At TU Delft, REIT and ICT are prototyping TULIP, a Kubernetes-based platform for locally hosted open LLMs. We’ll share design choices that prioritize responsible innovation: containerized serving with an OpenAI-compatible API, cluster-native scaling, and transparent monitoring.

While national initiatives like SURF’s WiLLMa focus on shared capacity, TULIP explores the campus-level space: providing researchers with reproducible endpoints, model governance, and early feasibility metrics for institutional hosting. We will share early lessons, governance implications, and practical guidance for universities and labs aiming to offer sustainable, open alternatives to proprietary AI services.