Greece has been selected to create one of the first AI factories in the EU aimed at driving innovation, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Tuesday.
More specifically, Greece is among seven countries selected by the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (Europe) to establish and operate the first AI factories in Europe setting the foundations for an ecosystem to train advanced AI models and develop AI solutions.
“Our goal is for the Greek AI factory to become a hub of research and knowledge for the wider geographical region, positioning Greece as a technological center,” said Mitsotakis.
The Pharos AI factory will be linked with the Daedalus supercomputer: a European supercomputer currently under deployment in Greece.
Additionally, Pharos is expected to implement AI technologies for advancements in the fields of health, environmental sustainability, culture and language.
Photo: Reuters/Dado Ruvic
The Greek PM said the announcement marked “a significant national achievement” that places Greece at the forefront of Europe, “opening new paths for Greek researchers, the public sector, and businesses”.
According to the European Commission announcement on Tuesday, a total of 1.5 billion euros will be channeled into Europe’s first AI factories from both national and EU funds.
Earlier this week, the Greek government announced that it would be introducing AI in schools through the AI4edu program, co-funded by the EU.
In addition to Greece and “Pharos” at GRNET – National Infrastructures for Research and Technology, AI factories will be set up in Barcelona, Spain: “BSC AIF” at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center; Bologna, Italy: “IT4LIA” at CINECA – Bologna Tecnopolo; Kajaani, Finland: “LUMI AIF” at CSC; Bissen, Luxembourg: “Meluxina-AI” at LuxProvide; Linköping, Sweden: “MIMER” at the University of Linköping; and Stuttgart, Germany: “HammerHAI” at the University of Stuttgart.
The announced AI factories are expected to more than double EuroHPC computing capacity, addressing specific needs and boosting European AI capabilities. They will be deployed in 2025-2026.
Other EU states interested in participating in the program can submit proposals by February 1, 2025.
