Slovenian delegation discusses financing of supercomputer in Brussels
Brussels, 4 November - A Digital Transformation Ministry delegation met representatives of the Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology in Brussels on Monday. The directorate's head Roberto Viola welcomed Slovenia's decision to apply for funds for a supercomputer and an AI factory as part of two tenders.
Brussels, Belgium
Eurozone ministerial with Slovenia's Finance Minister Klemen Boštjančič in the centre.
Photo: Thierry Monasse/STA
The Slovenian delegation, led by Finance Minister Klemen Boštjančič, who temporarily heads the Digital Transformation Ministry, presented the country's plans for the setting up of the second supercomputer in Maribor and an AI factory.
It also presented the cooperation with the the Bologna-based supercomputer centre Cineca HPC in a tender of the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking, in which Slovenia plans to invest EUR 5 million.
According to the Digital Transformation Ministry, Viola stressed the importance of Slovenia's participation in this open call and the decision to apply for funding in two projects, also in the light of maintaining the country's competitiveness and its links with the region and wider.
Slovenia will apply for funding independently in a project in which Slovenia's Institute of Information Science (IZUM) will be the lead partner and will consist of two phases.
In the first phase a new supercomputer tailored to AI applications is to be built. The second phase will involve setting up an AI factory, which is effectively an ecosystem for developing and optimising different AI models, the ministry said.
By applying for the funds, Slovenia hopes to collaborate with foreign experts who have experience in developing AI models, include in the project companies seeking to use AI models for their competitive edge, and to connect with the region and potential investors.
"In order to strengthen regional cooperation, we have invited all neighbouring countries to participate in the project. Austria and Italy have already expressed their willingness to participate, and we are still waiting for feedback from Hungary and Croatia," the ministry said.
By supporting the application of the Bologna-based supercomputer centre Cineca HPC for the construction of a new high-performance computer and AI factory, which was submitted today, Slovenia has pledged to invest in specific supercomputing capabilities that support AI, the ministry said.
"This investment by Slovenia in the upgrade of the AI-oriented supercomputer in Bologna, will give our researchers and companies access to an unprecedentedly more powerful supercomputing infrastructure. At the same time, we look forward to exchanging best practices in AI and to establishing a complementary supercomputer in Slovenia," the ministry said.
When endorsing the collaboration with the Italian institute last week, the government said it expected this to notably increase the chances for Slovenia's independent project to be picked in an EU tender, where a second round of applications is scheduled for February 2025.
The delegatin also featured State Secretary at the Digital Transformation Ministry Aida Kamišalić Latifić, IZUM head Aleš Bošnjak, and Finance Ministry State Secretary Saša Jazbec.