Romania is taking a major step towards strengthening its digital and research capabilities with the launch of RO AI Factory, the first national Artificial Intelligence infrastructure, built by ICI Bucharest (hosting entity) and the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, together with a consortium of academic, research, and industry partners.
Romania is among the six European countries selected in the latest round of evaluation of the EuroHPC – AI Factories program, a European initiative dedicated to the development of artificial intelligence and supercomputing centers.
RO AI Factory will include the acquisition and operation of a state-of-the-art supercomputer optimized for artificial intelligence, as well as the development of a set of advanced services and infrastructures dedicated to research, business, and the public sector.
Priority areas of application include manufacturing and industry, cybersecurity, life sciences, digital public services, and autonomous systems. The initiative will support not only researchers and universities, but also startups, SMEs, and public institutions, providing access to high-performance computing resources, datasets, software tools, and training programs.
„The result confirms that Romania can play an important role in Europe’s digital transformation. RO AI Factory will be the cornerstone for future European AI infrastructure projects, paving the way for new investments, collaborations, and international partnerships,” said Dr. Adrian-Victor Vevera, General Manager of ICI Bucharest. The success of this project represents a significant moment for Romanian research and innovation.
The success of this project represents a significant moment for Romanian research and innovation. Under the coordination of ICI Bucharest, the project aims to transform small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from mere users of technology into active players in innovation by providing services, training, and access to modern artificial intelligence infrastructures.
„Through this strategic investment, Romania is joining the table of major European players in the field of artificial intelligence. Politehnica Bucharest has the tradition, expertise, and human resources necessary to transform this project into an engine of scientific and economic progress. It is a unique opportunity to build cutting-edge technologies here in Romania that will influence society as a whole,” said Prof. Mihnea Costoiu, PhD, Eng. Rector of POLITEHNICA University of Bucharest.
RO AI Factory will be hosted and co-coordinated by ICI Bucharest and POLITEHNICA Bucharest, bringing together a solid consortium of national partners from research, education, and industry: the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca (UTCN), the National Institute for Research and Development in Biological Sciences (INCDSB), Transylvania IT Association (ATIT), the Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence (ICIA), the National Council of Small and Medium-Sized Private Enterprises in Romania (CNIPMMR), and the Association of Digital Innovation Hubs in Romania (RoDIH).
Romania is becoming an active part of the European EuroHPC – AI Factories network, contributing to the development of a unified, competitive, and ethical artificial intelligence ecosystem in Europe. The other projects selected in this final stage come from the Czech Republic, Spain, Poland, Lithuania, and the Netherlands, countries with a long tradition in supercomputing and advanced technologies.
Together with RO AI Factory, these initiatives will form a strategic European network of AI Factories, designed to stimulate collaboration between research centers, universities, and industry, strengthening Europe’s position as a global leader in the development and responsible use of artificial intelligence.
