Romania's ICI joins EUR 1.5 bln European AI Infrastructure Initiative

Romania, through its National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics (ICI Bucharest), has joined a European consortium to develop advanced computing infrastructure powered by artificial intelligence (AI), Profit.ro reported. This initiative is part of a broader EUR 1.5 billion European project to establish seven "AI factories" that will drive innovation across industries, start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and public administrations across the continent.

The consortium, led by Spain's Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), includes partners from Romania, Spain, Portugal, and Turkey. With a total project cost of EUR 198 million, the initiative focuses on enhancing AI-driven innovation across key sectors, including public administration, healthcare, biotechnology, finance, agriculture, energy, and media.

As part of the BSC AI Factory project, Romania will contribute to efforts that revolve around three core objectives:

• Developing and delivering advanced, high-value AI services with specialised support for target industries.
• Enhancing the EuroHPC JU MareNostrum 5 supercomputer, integrating cutting-edge AI computing capabilities, AI-specific software, and a vast data warehouse.
• Building an advanced experimental platform optimised for AI applications, enabling the testing of emerging computing technologies.

The BSC AI Factory will be a cornerstone of Europe's push to establish a robust AI ecosystem, with Romania playing a key supporting role. Focused on practical applications in areas such as climate, healthcare, and public sector digitalisation, the project underscores the EU's ambition to remain at the forefront of global AI development.

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