Together with the cabinet and NijBegun, a consortium comprising SURF, TNO, the Dutch AI Coalition (AIC4NL), and Samenwerking Noord has submitted a European co-financing application for the construction of an AI factory in Groningen. This AI factory will bolster the innovative capacity of companies, contribute to the technological independence of the Netherlands, and strengthen our national earning power. In September, it will be announced whether the application has been approved by EuroHPC. In total, the financing will be around €130 million, which, if granted, could increase to €200 million.
The AI Factory, consisting of an expertise center, data facility and supercomputer, should provide easy access to the massive computing power that companies and researchers need to develop AI models and systems. In this way, the AI Factory will help create new jobs, automate processes and accelerate innovations in sectors such as healthcare, mobility and security.
This initiative helps retain talent, knowledge, and applications within the country, reducing the Netherlands' reliance on American and Chinese technology platforms, where AI applications are currently predominantly developed. Groningen is the intended location for the AI factory due to the available space, its knowledge base, and available power capacity.
European application
The Dutch AI factory could become part of a European network of AI facilities. The proposal has been submitted to EuroHPC, a European collaboration supporting supercomputing and AI facilities, partly through co-financing. The consortium, together with the government, has submitted a co-financing application of €70 million to EuroHPC. The government itself is contributing €70 million, and another €60 million is coming from Groningen/North Drenthe through the Nij Begun resources. This could bring the total investment to €200 million.
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EuroHPC is expected to decide which proposals will receive funding in early September. If the proposal is granted, the expertise center is expected to launch by mid-2026. The supercomputer is expected to be operating at full capacity by early 2027.
