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EuroHPC initiative for start-ups to boost European leadership in trustworthy Artificial Intelligence

TA-9-2024-0359 · P9_TA(2024)0359 · PE759.744

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Parliament's amended version of a proposed Council regulation amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1173 to create a EuroHPC initiative for AI start-ups. It adds a new objective and an AI Factory pillar for the Joint Undertaking, rules on acquiring and owning AI-dedicated supercomputers, access conditions and selection criteria. The Joint Undertaking would acquire and own AI-dedicated supercomputers, with the Union contribution covering up to 50% of acquisition costs plus up to 50% of operating costs. The rest would be covered by the Participating State or hosting consortium. A one-stop shop would be set up for start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs and other users. Access conditions would be defined by the Governing Board, with dedicated access for start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs, and only trustworthy and ethical AI proposals eligible. Hosting entities would need to meet additional selection criteria on data centre proximity, energy efficiency and sustainability, support for the AI ecosystem, team expertise, cooperation with other AI Factories, and talent development.

Key points

  1. Adds a new objective for the Joint Undertaking: to develop and operate AI Factories supporting a competitive, sustainable, trustworthy and ethical AI ecosystem in the Union.
  2. Creates an AI Factory pillar covering acquisition and operation of AI-dedicated supercomputers, upgrades of existing EuroHPC supercomputers, access for public and private users, service centres, programming facilities, talent attraction and cooperation with other AI Factories.
  3. Defines an 'AI-dedicated supercomputer' as primarily designed for training large-scale civil general-purpose AI models and emerging AI applications, and an 'AI Factory' as an open ecosystem providing AI supercomputing infrastructure and services.
  4. Requires the Joint Undertaking to acquire and own AI-dedicated supercomputers, with the Union contribution covering up to 50% of acquisition costs plus up to 50% of operating costs, the rest covered by Participating States or the hosting consortium.
  5. Sets supplier selection based on demand-driven tender specifications addressing user requirements and supply chain security; the Governing Board may restrict supplier participation for security or strategic autonomy reasons.
  6. Allows ownership transfer, sale or decommissioning of AI-dedicated supercomputers at the earliest five years after successful acceptance test, with reimbursement of residual value or equal sharing of decommissioning costs.
  7. Adds selection criteria for hosting entities: proximity or high-speed connection to a data centre, energy efficiency and sustainability plans, support for the AI start-up and research ecosystem, team expertise, cooperation with other AI Factories, and talent development plans.
  8. Requires hosting entities to create a one-stop shop for start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs and other users to facilitate access to support services and skills development.
  9. Requires the Governing Board to define access conditions for AI-dedicated supercomputers, with possible specific conditions for different user types including dedicated access for start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs; only trustworthy and ethical AI proposals in line with Union rules and values are eligible.
  10. States that AI-dedicated supercomputers and upgraded EuroHPC supercomputers shall primarily be used for development, testing, evaluation and validation of large-scale general-purpose AI training models and emerging AI applications.
  11. Amends Article 15 to allow calls for upgrading EuroHPC supercomputers to increase AI capabilities, and sets the Union contribution for upgrade costs at the same percentage as for the original supercomputer.
  12. Sets the Union's share of access time to each high-end, quantum and AI-dedicated EuroHPC supercomputer as proportional to its financial contribution and not exceeding 50% of total access time.

Who is affected

  • AI start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs: gain dedicated access to supercomputers and support services through a one-stop shop.
  • Hosting entities of EuroHPC supercomputers: must meet additional selection criteria and create a one-stop shop.
  • The European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking: acquires and owns AI-dedicated supercomputers, develops AI Factories.
  • Participating States or hosting consortia: cover the remaining total cost of ownership of AI-dedicated supercomputers.
  • Suppliers of AI-dedicated supercomputers: may face restricted participation for security or strategic autonomy reasons.

Figures and deadlines

  • Up to 50% of acquisition costs plus up to 50% of operating costs of AI-dedicated supercomputers covered by the Union contribution.
  • At the earliest five years after successful acceptance test, ownership of an AI-dedicated supercomputer may be transferred, sold or decommissioned.
  • Union's access time to each high-end, quantum and AI-dedicated EuroHPC supercomputer shall not exceed 50% of total access time.

Legal basis: Article 187 and the first subparagraph of Article 188 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.