News

Greece has been selected to host one of the first Artificial Intelligence (AI) Factories in Europe. The Ministry of Digital Governance's proposal, titled “Pharos - The Greek AI Factory for Accelerating AI Innovation,” has been approved as part of the European AI Factories Initiative under the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking.

 

“Pharos” will serve as a collaborative platform uniting academia, research, public institutions, and the private sector. It aims to develop new AI-driven services focusing on three main areas: Health, Greek Language and Culture, and Sustainable Development. The project aspires to foster an innovative and competitive ecosystem, supporting startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

 

The project has a total budget of €30 million, co-financed equally by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and National Resources. Scheduled to launch in March 2025, the initiative has a planned duration of 36 months. 

 

Pharos is among the flagship projects of Greece’s National AI Transition Plan, developed by the High-Level Advisory Committee on AI. It will leverage the capabilities of the high-performance computing infrastructure provided by the “Daedalus” supercomputer, enabling seamless collaboration with other European infrastructures. The AI Factories across the EU will collectively generate results for the benefit of all European citizens.

Pharos will create a state-of-the-art innovation ecosystem in Greece, which will:

• Enhance competitiveness by providing advanced computational resources, access to big data, and highly skilled personnel.
• Support high-quality AI Products by developing reliable AI solutions compliant with European AI regulations (AI Act).
• Promote innovation in key areas including sustainability, such as satellite data analysis for natural resource management and combating climate change.
• Invest in human capital through training programs, upskilling, and talent attraction in AI.
• Ensure synergies by connecting with related initiatives, including European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), Data Spaces, National Competence Centers (NCCs), and flagship projects like DeployAI, ALT-EDIC4EU, and LLMs4EU.
• Foster cross-border collaboration by creating an EU-wide innovation ecosystem with multiplier benefits for all member states.

"Pharos" will be implemented by a national consortium led by GRNET S.A., under the Ministry of Digital Governance. Partners include the NCSR-D, NTUA, the Athena Research Center, Growthfund, and the Special Secretariat for Strategic Foresight.

 

Additional contributors include:  The National Center for Research and Technology Development (CERTH), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH), University of Piraeus (UniPi), National Documentation Centre (EKT), HDIKA S.A. (a Digital Governance Ministry organization).