The Barcelona Artificial Intelligence Hub, a European leader

The other European cities that will host AI factories are Bologna (Italy), Kajaani (Finland), Bissen (Luxembourg), Linköping (Sweden), Stuttgart (Germany), and Athens (Greece). All of these projects will have a total budget of 1.5 billion euros and will be co-financed by the European Union and national governments.

For Diana Morant, Minister of Science, Innovation, and Universities, this project “will position Spain as a leading country in the development of artificial intelligence and will also enable both the public and private sectors to carry out R&D projects with a significant impact on science and technology”. At the national level, the government will invest 61.76 million euros through the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, and the Catalan government will contribute 14 million euros. At the European level, the Commission will allocate 98.33 million euros through the European High-Performance Computing Network.

This new facility, which is expected to be operational by the end of 2025, will serve more than 2,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and support over 500 projects related to this technology. The lack of specialized personnel in this field is a barrier to entry for many companies, so SMEs and startups will be able to access AI-based software more easily, according to the center. The BSC notes that companies and institutions will be able to have their own technicians attend events or courses offered to students or executives. In this way, they aim to discover new talent and connect it with companies.

Núria Montserrat, the Catalan Government’s Minister of Research and Universities, stated regarding the project that “it is a firm commitment to making access to these disruptive technologies more democratic and ensuring it develops in line with the EU’s ethical and regulatory values”. Over the coming year, a public tender will determine which entities will be part of the factory and what capabilities they will have.

According to an IDC report titled The Global Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Economy and Jobs, AI is projected to account for 3.5% of global GDP by 2030, with an economic impact of $19.9 trillion. With the creation of these seven factories, the EU is positioning itself to lead this new emerging market, which could have a direct impact on various sectors, including technology and manufacturing.

The initiative will be carried out on one of the BSC-CNS’s supercomputers, MareNostrum 5, which will be upgraded to enable the comprehensive training and development of generative AI models, and will even allow for the creation of cutting-edge applications in this field. The facility, located in Barcelona, will provide support in various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, finance, energy, climate, and media. 

Mateo Valero, director of the BSC, highlighted the importance of such projects to avoid technological dependence on other countries. “If Europe doesn’t develop AI applications so that European data can be analyzed by European machines for our benefit, we’re doomed”, Valero emphasized.

This program is aligned with the European strategy and the recommendations of the Draghi report, driving the investments needed to develop an innovative ecosystem in artificial intelligence. The goal is for Europe not only to strengthen its competitiveness and innovation in this field, but also to ensure its strategic sovereignty, strengthen control over data and security, and promote the development of trustworthy and ethical AI models.

File photo courtesy of the Barcelona Supercomputing Center – www.bsc.es