The interconnected network of factories will advance AI applications across sectors including health, manufacturing, energy, climate and finance in the EU. It will be managed by the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking, an organization set up to develop a world-class supercomputing ecosystem in the region.
The sites will double the EU’s data capacity.
AI startups, small and medium-sized enterprises, and researchers across the continent can easily access high-performance computing resources, training, and expertise through the factories. The goal is to gather. “Critical Ingredients for Success in AI,” Which are computing power, data and talent. Together, the seven factories will double the EU’s data capacity by 2026.
Five of the sites will include new AI-enhanced supercomputers, while Spain will include upgrading an existing EuroHPC system, MareNostrum 5. Likewise, the facility in Greece will be connected to the DAEDALUS supercomputer currently deployed in Athens.
There will be factories in Spain and Finland. “Experimental Platform” Frontier is specifically designed for developing and testing AI models.
Who will fund Europe’s new AI factories?
EuroHPCJU, the European Commission, and individual Member States will share funding for the seven factories. A total of 2.1 billion euros. The EU will also provide €100 million to support incubation and start-up activities, with the aim of securing an additional €1 billion from private investors.
| location | The name | Current supercomputing infrastructure | New or upgrade? | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kajani, Finland | LUMI AF | LUMI | new | At least €556 million |
| Stuttgart, Germany | HammerHAI | High Performance Computing Center Stuttgart | new | 85 million euros |
| Athens, Greece | Pharos | Daedalus, GRNET | Upgrade. | 30 million euros |
| Bologna, Italy | IT4LIA | Leonardo | new | 430 million euros |
| Busan, Luxembourg | L-AI | Melo Xana | new | 112 million euros |
| Barcelona, Spain | Barcelona Supercomputing Center | MareNostrum 5 | Upgrade. | €198 million |
| Linkoping, Sweden | MIMER | National Academic Infrastructure for Supercomputing | new | unknown |
AI factories will reduce the common barriers to entry associated with AI technology, such as hardware installation costs, lack of applicable talent, and data security concerns arising from the use of offshore cloud providers. They will also make it easier for researchers to comply with the EU’s strict data security and AI ethics requirements, as factories’ management teams will be responsible for compliance.
Additionally, a sept Report Economist and former President of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi claimed that the bloc is not competitive with other global regions in terms of innovation, especially with advanced technologies. Factories want to help address this lack of competition, guarantee strategic autonomy, and improve control over data and security.
See: Generative AI could add up to €1.4 trillion to EU GDP by 2034
“We are now ready to lead the EU in its ambitions to become the AI continent with the right infrastructure in place,” said Hina Verkonen, Executive Vice President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy. statement.
The first seven factories to be operational by 2026
In January 2024, the European Commission launched a package of measures to support European startups and SMEs developing reliable AI. AI Act. Among them was a proposal to enable the establishment of accessible AI factories using the EuroHPC infrastructure.
In May, European AI Office Large-scale general-purpose models and AI were created to control the deployment of the Act. However, the office is also tasked with setting up AI factories.
There were proposals for seven factories. Received in November. And then on December 10 it was officially announced. The goal is to establish and complete the first AI factories in early 2025. By 2026. More may be added later; Cyprus and Slovenia have submitted letters of interest, and February 1 is the deadline for the second round of proposals.