Romania is one of six European countries recently selected to develop a new artificial intelligence and supercomputing center under the EuroHPC – AI Factories program. The project, known as the AI Factory, will be Romania’s first national AI infrastructure, marking a major step toward strengthening its digital and research capabilities.
The initiative will be led by the National University of Science and Technology Politehnica of Bucharest and the National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics (ICI Bucharest), in partnership with universities, research institutions, and industry organizations.
The RO AI Factory will include the acquisition and operation of a state-of-the-art supercomputer optimized for artificial intelligence, as well as the development of a set of advanced services and infrastructures dedicated to research, the business environment, and the public sector, according to the press release. Priority application areas include manufacturing and industry, cybersecurity, life sciences, digital public services, and autonomous systems.
The initiative will support not only researchers and universities but also startups, SMEs, and public institutions by providing access to high-performance computing resources, data sets, software tools, and training programs.
“This strategic investment places Romania among Europe’s leading players in artificial intelligence,” said Mihnea Costoiu, rector of Politehnica Bucharest. “It is a unique opportunity to build cutting-edge technologies here in Romania that can influence society as a whole.”
According to Adrian-Victor Vevera, director general of ICI Bucharest, the project demonstrates Romania’s growing role in Europe’s digital transformation.
“RO AI Factory will serve as a foundation for future European AI infrastructure projects and open new opportunities for investment and collaboration,” he said.
The RO AI Factory will be hosted and co-coordinated by ICI Bucharest and Politehnica Bucharest, bringing together a strong consortium of national partners from research, education, and industry: the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca (UTCN), the National Institute for Research and Development in Biological Sciences (INCDSB), the Transilvania IT Association (ATIT), the Institute for Artificial Intelligence Research (ICIA), the National Council of Private Small and Medium Enterprises in Romania (CNIPMMR), and the Romanian Digital Innovation Hubs Association (RoDIH).
Alongside Romania, the other countries recently selected for the EuroHPC – AI Factories program are Spain, Poland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and the Netherlands. They will be part of a European network of interconnected AI centers designed to boost cooperation between universities, research hubs, and the private sector, consolidating Europe’s position as a global leader in artificial intelligence development.
irina.marica@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: press release)
Leave a Reply