The European Commission announced on Wednesday the creation of six new AI factories, one of which will be established in Poland. The Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center (PCSS) will receive €50 million (around 200 million PLN) in funding from the EC to build the Piast AI factory. An additional 340 million PLN will be provided by the Polish government.
This initiative, announced by the European Commission in September last year, aims to create a network of specialized research and development centers across Europe. The goal is to position Europe as a leading player in artificial intelligence and drive innovation throughout the EU.
According to the Commission’s website, the Piast AI factory in Poznań will focus on accelerating the adoption of AI technologies in academia and industry, particularly in health and life sciences, IT and cybersecurity (including quantum technologies), space and robotics, sustainability (energy, agriculture, and climate change), and the public sector.
In December, the EC selected the first seven locations and announced six more on Wednesday. Besides Poland, AI factories will also be launched next year in Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, and Slovenia.
The six AI factories will be built through national and European investments totaling approximately €485 million. They will provide priority access to AI-focused startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), supporting growth and more efficient scaling.
Poland’s Ministry of Digital Affairs confirmed that the project, led by PCSS, will receive €50 million (200 million PLN) from the EC, adding to the previously allocated 340 million PLN from the Polish government to support the development of AI factories.
The ministry also announced that the Academic Computer Center Cyfronet AGH in Kraków, “drawing on the experience of Poznań and with support from IDEAS Institute experts,” will apply for additional funding to expand AI infrastructure in Poland in a competition set for early May.
The EC’s initiative — operating under the name European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC) — involves 17 member states and two associated countries.
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