The European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking has announced the outcome of the call issued last September to create the first European AI Factories, selecting the IT4LIA AI Factory project, the initiative nominated by Italy, with the participation of Austria and Slovenia, and co-financed by the Ministry of University and Research, the CINECA consortium, INFN, the National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN), the Emilia-Romagna Region, the ItaliaMeteo Agency, the Italian Institute for Artificial Intelligence for Industry (AI4I) and the Bruno Kessler Foundation (FBK). Other national institutions and entities are also participating in the initiative, including the ICSC Foundation - National Research Centre in HPC Big data and Quantum Computing.

The heart of the project is the creation of an advanced supercomputer, optimised for artificial intelligence, which will be installed at the Tecnopolo Manifattura in Bologna, already a European point of reference for supercomputing, big data, AI and quantum computing. This infrastructure, among the most powerful in the world, will become a strategic asset to position Italy as a leader in AI computing in Europe. The project also includes the development of applications and services aimed at creating an ecosystem to support businesses. The IT4LIA AI Factory project represents a key milestone in a strategy launched in 2017 to place Italy at the centre of technological innovation. The AI Factory will have a decisive impact on strategic sectors for the national economy, such as agribusiness, cybersecurity, climate and earth sciences, mitigation of risks related to extreme weather events, and manufacturing. The initiative will simplify access to innovative services with high added value, encouraging collaboration among researchers, startups and SMEs, and promoting a more connected and dynamic economy. The project benefits from a total investment of approximately 430 million euros, co-financed equally by Italy and the EuroHPC Joint Initiative. The coordinating role will be assigned to Cineca, which will be responsible for implementing the supercomputer and managing the related infrastructure.

Indeed, the initiative will make it possible to expand and strengthen the Italian supercomputing ecosystem being implemented by ICSC - National Research Centre in HPC, Big Data and Quantum Computing, exploiting the Emilia-Romagna innovation ecosystem as the ignition point of a project with national and international repercussions.