The RO AI Factory project began implementation works on 1 September and is expected to become operational by the end of 2027.
Hosted by the National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics (ICI Bucharest), the RO AI Factory will provide computing infrastructure for the development and testing of artificial intelligence models.
“We want RO AI Factory to become a meeting point for research, academia, companies, and the public sector and, most importantly, a framework in which infrastructure, expertise, and collaboration lead to concrete projects and solutions,” said ICI Bucharest general director Adrian-Victor Vevera.
The project is funded by the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) through the Horizon-JU-EuroHPC-2025-AI call.
The RO AI Factory will be available to a variety of organisations
The project will offer access to to a number of high-performance computing resources, support for developing and training AI models, data infrastructure and services, algorithm libraries, and tools for creating responsible and trustworthy artificial intelligence. The RO AI Factory will be available to universities, research organisations, technology companies, industrial players, and public institutions.
Small and medium enterprises and startups will be particularly emphasised and assisted in the development of AI products and services, according to ICI Bucharest. As well as infrastructure access, they will receive technical expertise, training, mentoring, and support with testing and validation.
Part of the EuroPC JU network of AI factories
The initiative is co-coordinated by the National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest. Its consortium also includes the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, the National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, the Transilvania IT Association, the Mihai Drăgănescu Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence, the National Council of Romanian SMEs, and the Romanian Digital Innovation Hubs Association.
Joining EuroHPC’s network is anticipated to grant Romania access to exchanges of resources, data, expertise, and good practices and new opportunities for cross-border cooperation.
ICI Bucharest will house its high-performance computing infrastructure and provide technical and operational support for its installation, integration, and operation.
The first implementation stages will involve preparing the hosting facilities and installing the hardware, followed by integrating the services and connecting them to national and European infrastructure. The service portfolio and wider ecosystem will then be expanded progressively.
