AI Factory Austria (AI:AT) to boost national AI ecosystem

AI Factory Austria (AI:AT) to boost national AI ecosystem

A major new initiative, AI Factory Austria (AI:AT), is set to have a lasting positive impact on Austria’s artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem. As officially announced on 12 March 2025, funding has been secured through the European High Performance Computing (EuroHPC) Joint Undertaking. With this, AI:AT contributes significantly to efforts aimed at enhancing Europe’s competitiveness and capacity for innovation in AI.

The project consortium, led by Advanced Computing Austria (ACA) and the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, alongside a strong network of academic and industry partners, will establish a state-of-the-art computing infrastructure with comprehensive AI services for the AI Factory. This integrated approach fosters innovation, strengthens AI expertise, and enhances Austria’s and Europe’s competitiveness in the global technology landscape.

“By jointly building an AI-optimised supercomputer and an AI Factory Hub, we are laying the foundation for powerful and trustworthy AI applications across Austria. AI Factory Austria will serve as a key network hub, ensuring that all relevant stakeholders – from research to industry – collaborate effectively, thus strengthening Austria as an innovation hub in the long term,” said AIT Scientific Director Andreas Kugi.

Expanding existing infrastructure

Building on the Vienna Scientific Cluster (VSC), a new AI-optimised supercomputer will be acquired, providing resources for researchers, startups, companies, and public administration. This will enable efficient training of complex AI models and their application across various fields.

“AI:AT allows us to significantly expand the support services established through projects like EuroCC and make them accessible to an even broader user base,” explained ACA Project Manager Markus Stöhr. “This will be achieved through the provision of software solutions for AI use cases, as well as direct support for client projects. The significant increase in computing capacity will also enable the training of larger AI models, which was previously not possible with our infrastructure.”

“The establishment of the AI Factory is a key milestone on the path to a high-performance AI ecosystem in Austria as a hub for innovation. With this initiative, we are placing a significant and visible building block on the country’s AI landscape. As the core of a future AI hub, it aims to be a magnet and meeting point for top talent while attracting the most innovative companies with high-end supercomputing and comprehensive services. By focusing on commercial applications and value creation, we aim to drive digitalisation forward, enhance the competitiveness of businesses, and make AI—one of the most crucial technologies—accessible to as many start-ups as possible, opening doors to new markets and solutions,” says Peter Hanke, Federal Minister for Innovation.

AI Factory hub and services

In addition to the hardware upgrade, a physical AI Factory Hub will be established, serving as a one-stop shop, coworking space, and community centre. With around 60 planned employees, the hub will provide services in the following areas:

Community support and ecosystem development: A central meeting point for project teams, consultants, and partners.
Operational support: Low-threshold access to AI infrastructure, from pilot projects to full-scale workloads.
Innovation support: Accelerated product development through proof-of-concept guidance and consultancy.
Training and capacity building: Comprehensive training programmes, ranging from introductory courses to specialised masterclasses.

Applications and impact

AI:AT supports cross-sector projects in fields such as biotechnology, sustainability, energy, and manufacturing. A central one-stop shop will make supercomputing resources and expert support accessible to startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). At the same time, clear guidelines and secure data environments will ensure the trustworthy and ethical development of AI.
Looking ahead

With funding from the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, AI:AT is creating a comprehensive AI ecosystem that benefits research, businesses, and public institutions alike. The combination of cutting-edge computing infrastructure and targeted support services will further strengthen Austria’s international position as a technology and innovation hub.

AI:AT uniquely creates synergies with other flagship projects in the field of AI fundamental research. Notable initiatives include the planned AI Centre of the University of Vienna and TU Wien, the AITHYRA Institute for AI in Biomedicine (founded by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) and Boehringer Ingelheim), and the FWF-funded “Bilateral AI” Excellence Cluster.

AI:AT consortium

The AI Factory Austria (AI:AT) consortium is led by Advanced Computing Austria GmbH (ACA) and the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. Other partners include TU Wien, University of Vienna, BOKU University, University of Innsbruck, TU Graz, Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU), the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), the business incubator INiTS, and the EODC Earth Observation Data Centre for Water Resources Monitoring GmbH.