Commission receives seven proposals for AI factories to boost AI innovation in the EU

The first seven proposals for artificial intelligence (AI) factories have been submitted to the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, which manages the call announced in September 2024.

These AI factories will create a thriving European ecosystem for training advanced AI models and developing AI solutions. They will be built around the EU’s network of world-class European high-performance computing (HPC) supercomputers and will bring together the main ingredients for AI success: computing power, data and talent. The AI factories will substantially increase the computing capacity available for AI in Europe. They will be interconnected and available to European AI start-ups, industry and researchers.

The seven proposals submitted in total by 15 Member States and two associated participating States demonstrate the strong interest in this important initiative. Finland (together with the participation of the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Norway and Poland), Luxembourg, Sweden, Germany, Italy (together with the participation of Austria and Slovenia) and Greece submitted proposals to build an AI factory around an existing or a new supercomputer adapted to AI needs. In addition, a proposal prepared by Spain with the participation of Portugal, Romania and Turkey is expected to arrive.

The proposals submitted will now be evaluated by an independent panel of experts. The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking expects to announce the selection of the first AI factories in December 2024 and to launch them shortly thereafter.

In addition to the above-mentioned proposals, Cyprus and Slovenia have expressed their interest in joining or setting up an AI factory at a later stage. The next deadline for submission of proposals is 1 February 2025.

The EU is now one step closer to the creation of the first AI factories in early 2025, as announced in the political guidelines of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

More information: European Comission