Europe has chosen the websites for seven “AI factories” — specialised analysis and improvement centres utilizing the area’s strongest supercomputers. The factories might be primarily based in Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, and Sweden.
The interconnected community of factories will drive developments in AI functions throughout numerous sectors within the E.U., together with well being, manufacturing, vitality, local weather, and finance. It will likely be managed by the European Excessive Efficiency Computing Joint Endeavor, an organisation set as much as develop a world-class supercomputing ecosystem within the area.
Websites will greater than double E.U.’s information capability
AI startups, small and medium enterprises, and researchers throughout the continent can simply entry high-performance computing sources, coaching, and experience via the factories. The intention is to convey collectively the “key components for fulfillment in AI,” that are computing energy, information, and expertise. Collectively, the seven factories will greater than double the E.U.’s information capability by 2026.
5 of the websites will contain new AI-optimised supercomputers, whereas the one in Spain will contain upgrading an present EuroHPC system, MareNostrum 5. Likewise, the ability in Greece might be related to the DAEDALUS supercomputer at present deployed in Athens.
The factories in Spain and Finland could have an “experimental platform” designed particularly to develop and check frontier AI fashions.
Who will fund Europe’s new AI factories?
The EuroHPC JU, the European Fee, and particular person Member States will share funding for the seven factories, totaling €2.1 billion. The E.U. will even present €100 million to help incubation and start-up actions, aiming to draw an extra €1 billion from personal traders.
| Location | Title | Present supercomputing infrastructure | New or improve? | Finances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kajaani, Finland | LUMI AF | LUMI | New | At the least €556 million |
| Stuttgart, Germany | HammerHAI | Excessive-Efficiency Computing Middle Stuttgart | New | €85 million |
| Athens, Greece | Pharos | DAEDALUS, GRNET | Improve | €30 million |
| Bologna, Italy | IT4LIA | LEONARDO | New | €430 million |
| Bissen, Luxembourg | L-AI | MeluXina | New | €112 million |
| Barcelona, Spain | Barcelona Supercomputing Middle | MareNostrum 5 | Improve | €198 million |
| Linköping, Sweden | MIMER | Nationwide Tutorial Infrastructure for Supercomputing | New | Unknown |
The AI factories will decrease the standard limitations to entry related to AI expertise, akin to the price of putting in {hardware}, scarcity of relevant expertise, and information safety issues stemming from utilizing offshore cloud suppliers. They will even make it simpler for researchers to stick to the E.U.’s strict information safety and AI ethics necessities, because the factories’ administration groups might be accountable for compliance.
Moreover, a September report by former European Central Financial institution President and economist Mario Draghi claimed that the bloc was not aggressive with different international areas by way of innovation, particularly with superior applied sciences. The factories intend to assist handle this lack of competitiveness, assure strategic sovereignty, and enhance management over information and safety.
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“Now we’re prepared to guide with the suitable infrastructure in our ambition for the EU to turn into the AI continent,” stated Henna Virkkunen, govt vice-president for Tech Sovereignty, Safety and Democracy, in a assertion.
First seven factories to be operational by 2026
In Jan. 2024, the European Fee launched a package deal of measures to help European startups and SMEs creating reliable AI in keeping with the AI Act. Amongst them was a proposal to allow the institution of accessible AI factories utilizing the EuroHPC infrastructure.
In Might, the European AI Workplace was shaped largely to control the deployment of the final objective fashions and the AI Act. Nonetheless, the workplace can be tasked with establishing AI factories.
Proposals for the seven factories have been obtained in November after which formally introduced on Dec. 10. The aim is to arrange the primary AI factories in early 2025 and full them by 2026. Extra might be part of later; Cyprus and Slovenia have submitted letters of curiosity, and Feb. 1 is the deadline for the second spherical of proposals.