First services from LUMI AI Factory launched – free of charge for companies and researchers developing AI

The LUMI AI Factory is one of the European Union’s first AI Factories, seamlessly combining world-class computing power, high-quality data, and top-tier AI talent. The first services of the LUMI AI Factory have now been launched. The services are free of charge for startups, SMEs, and academic researchers. The LUMI AI Factory accelerates AI innovation across Europe.

The LUMI AI Factory offers a comprehensive set of services, including three different levels of high-performance computing resource packages for AI development on the LUMI supercomputer, dataset-as-a-service, training and technical support, and consulting services. The first thirteen services launched are presented on the AI Factory’s new website.

High-quality datasets for AI development

Bringing high-quality and valuable datasets into AI development and high-performance computing is one of the key objectives of the LUMI AI Factory. Dataset-as-a-service enables the use of high-value datasets such as the European Open Web Index produced by the OpenWebSearch.eu project, as well as spatial data and speech data. The AI Factory also provides guidance on accessing computing and data resources for AI projects.

In addition to data and computing services, the LUMI AI Factory offers consultation services for code optimisation and user support for selecting the right AI methods and training AI models. The service catalogue also includes customised training to meet the diverse needs of users, enabling companies and researchers to make the best possible use of the resources of the LUMI AI Factory.

The thirteen services launched now are just the beginning: the services will be supplemented, and more will be added later.

– Our service catalogue addresses the fundamentals of AI development: data, computing, and the expertise they require. We are expanding our offering around this foundation by adding more application-specific services and addressing specific needs, such as providing support for assessing the compliance of AI development projects. Services are developed in collaboration with users to meet real needs. Collaboration is also supported by engaging directly where industry innovations are taking place, and by opening hub facilities. The largest of the LUMI AI Factory hubs will soon open in Espoo, Finland, said Aleksi Kallio, Director for LUMI AI Factory services at CSC.

Boosting AI expertise

The LUMI AI Factory serves as a joint platform and accelerator for RDI activities by companies, research groups and public actors, enabling the development of innovative European AI models and applications.

In the beginning, the LUMI AI Factory will leverage the power of the LUMI supercomputer, owned by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and located in CSC’s data center in Kajaani, Finland. When the current LUMI supercomputer’s lifecycle comes to an end, it will gradually be replaced by a new AI-focused supercomputer called LUMI-AI. The LUMI-AI computing environment will be complemented by a quantum computing platform named LUMI-IQ, designed for workloads combining quantum computing and artificial intelligence.

– LUMI-AI will be one of the world’s most powerful AI supercomputers for public use, and the data infrastructure connected to it will be used to provide unprecedentedly rich data resources for research and innovation purposes, said Director Pekka Manninen, who oversees the LUMI AI Factory project at CSC.

AI skills important for all of Europe

Developing AI skills is crucial for Europe’s economic growth, societal well-being, and technological sovereignty. Dozens of companies across Europe have already utilised LUMI, and many of them have deployed AI in their RDI processes.

Gosta Labs is a Finnish health technology company developing machine learning models to improve patient care and medical practice. The company’s flagship product is Gosta Aide, an artificial intelligence assistant with language models tailored to the needs of the social and healthcare sector, automating the creation of client and patient records. Gosta Aide frees up the healthcare staff’s time for client encounters, thus supporting the delivery of human-centered, high-quality care.

Gosta Labs has used the LUMI supercomputer to develop task-specific language templates.

– Our customers have been genuinely excited about our strong European expertise and our ability to develop machine learning models for healthcare so that not all solutions need to rely on global providers, said Lauri Sippola, CEO & co-founder of Gosta Labs.

Around 3,500 research projects have been run on LUMI, with over half incorporating AI, driving academic breakthroughs and industrial RDI across Europe and thereby strengthening expertise, employment, and competitiveness across Europe.

The LUMI AI factory is hosted by a consortium including Finland, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Norway and Poland. The AI factory is coordinated by CSC – IT Center for Science, with Aalto University, AI Finland, and the University of Helsinki also participating in the consortium from Finland.

Media requests: media@lumi-supercomputer.eu

Image: Mikael Kanerva, CSC