Belgium misses out on European support for AI Factory
Belgium has missed out on European support for an AI Factory, an innovation centre for artificial intelligence. On Friday, the European Union announced the list of new locations, and the project proposed by Belgium - for an AI Factory split over two sites in Flanders and Wallonia - is not included. Belgium however still has a chance of receiving support for an “AI Factory Antenna”.
An AI Factory consists of infrastructure that makes it possible to process enormous amounts of data and develop complex algorithms. Europe wants to use it to strengthen its strategic autonomy. Companies and knowledge institutions will have access to the AI computing power.
Federal minister Vanessa Matz, responsible for digitisation, had submitted Belgium's candidacy as part of a European call for projects. Together with the regions, she aimed to establish an AI Factory that would be split over two sites, in Zellik (Flemish Brabant) and Charleroi (Wallonia). The project was estimated to cost 80 million euros, half of which would be financed by Europe.
The final choice fell on projects in the Czech Republic, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain. These are in addition to thirteen previously selected AI factory projects spread across the European Union, but not yet in Belgium.
Matz also submitted an application for a so-called AI Factory Antenna, an alternative in case the application for the AI Factory was not accepted. The maximum European support for this is five million euros. Through the AI Factory Antenna, a virtual hub, Belgium would gain access to the resources of computing centres in other member states. There is no news yet on this application.
#FlandersNewsService | The Supercomputing Centre in Barcelona © PHOTO Josep LAGO / AFP