Press Launch
Within the coming years, the competitiveness of EU economies will instantly depend upon their skill to entry large computing energy that’s obtainable, inexpensive and sovereign. The problem is industrial, monetary and strategic: enabling European corporations to coach, deploy and function their AI fashions beneath managed situations by way of efficiency, value and sovereignty.
That is exactly the purpose of the undertaking put ahead by the AION consortium.
Mobilizing French excellence to construct world-leading AI infrastructure
In response to the fast adoption of AI and the explosion in demand for computing energy, AION brings collectively all the important expertise required for creating new-generation European infrastructure.
The consortium leverages the complementary strengths of a large spectrum of benchmark gamers masking the complete worth chain: supercomputers, microprocessors, quantum computing options and significant infrastructure, experience in vitality, cloud platforms, sovereign AI and the event and operation of datacenter infrastructure, in addition to AI deployment capabilities, funding capability and industrial know-how.
AION may even be capable to draw on a broad ecosystem made up of technological, tutorial and industrial companions, in addition to consumer corporations resembling Le Crédit Agricole, Equans, Future4Care, GENCI, Hugging Face, INRIA, Kyutai, LightOn, Multiverse Computing, Nokia, Opcore, Quandela, PariSanté Campus, Schneider Electrical, SiPearl, Sopra Steria, Verne, VSORA and ZML.
France – a strategic alternative for internet hosting a European AI Gigafactory
France has distinctive strengths for internet hosting infrastructure of this magnitude. It has considerable, inexpensive, sovereign and low-carbon electrical energy because of its vitality combine that’s primarily made up of nuclear and hydraulic energy, in addition to sturdy digital infrastructure and acknowledged experience throughout the entire worth chain, significantly in knowledge facilities, cloud companies and high-performance computing.
France has additionally established itself as one of the dynamic AI ecosystems in Europe because of the standard of its analysis, the emergence of world-class tech gamers, and a dense pool of scientific and industrial expertise. From analysis labs to start-ups, by to main end-user corporations, it brings collectively the total vary of expertise wanted to construct a aggressive AI trade on a European scale.
Internet hosting an AI Gigafactory would allow France to supply all of the situations for strengthening European tech sovereignty, accelerating AI adoption by personal corporations and public-sector gamers, and driving competitiveness and innovation.
An ambition constructed on 4 pillars
The AION consortium is predicated on 4 elementary pillars:
- Efficiency: deploying world-class AI infrastructure to serve the European financial system.
- Belief: reinforcing Europe’s strategic autonomy through full management over the AI worth chain – from {hardware} to open supply software program – because of the assist of sovereign gamers.
- Openness: selling using open supply applied sciences, in addition to partnerships to strengthen the European ecosystem.
- Duty: creating AI for the advantage of European analysis, companies and residents with a specific concentrate on containing its environmental footprint.
An open consortium to convey collectively the European ecosystem
The alliance introduced right now marks the start line of a undertaking geared toward bringing collectively all French and European gamers who’re prepared and prepared to contribute to this shared industrial ambition.
“As an unbiased European participant in knowledge and AI, Artefact is uniquely positioned to watch the fast progress in demand for computing energy, in addition to the shortage of enough sovereign options. We’re technology-agnostic and our precedence is to supply our clients with really resilient options primarily based on three dimensions of sovereignty: expertise, operations and knowledge. There’s no time for corporations to attend – the infrastructure of the long run must be constructed right now. By becoming a member of the AION consortium, Artefact will be capable to deploy probably the most bold AI use circumstances for its clients, inside a completely sovereign framework, making certain freedom, safety and resilience.” Vincent Luciani, Government President of Artefact
“It’s time to construct a European AI ecosystem collectively, primarily based on world-class European infrastructure and underpinned by France’s excellent low-carbon vitality capabilities. United by this ambition, we’re delighted to be teaming up with our associates on the iliad Group and the Orange group to hitch and steer the AION consortium, which may even be supported by different main industrial and tech gamers. Alongside our companions, we’re proud to be placing our industrial and monetary experience to the service of creating sustainable and resilient AI computing capability on a big scale.” Benoît Gaillochet, Head of Infrastructure Europe at Ardian
“This initiative is especially necessary for Bull in its capability as the one participant able to guaranteeing a principally European provide chain for AI, cloud and supercomputer infrastructure. We see AION as a pure extension of our strategic pathway, bringing extra computing capabilities devoted to simulation and AI, creating new AI-optimized {hardware} applied sciences, and deploying our software program platform and knowledge science companies to allow the manufacturing of business AI use circumstances. Via AION, we’re reaffirming our dedication to strengthening Europe’s skill to develop and function next-generation AI and cloud infrastructure, whereas laying the foundations for a extra resilient, aggressive and unbiased expertise ecosystem.” Emmanuel Le Roux, CEO of Bull
“Europe has all the things it takes to write down one of the inspiring chapters of the AI revolution: excellence in analysis, industrial champions, low-carbon vitality and values primarily based on the belief and sovereignty of the European system. What was lacking was the flexibility to convey collectively these strengths primarily based on a shared undertaking that may rise to the challenges at stake. With AION, this purpose is achievable. It’s a French enterprise, led collectively, for the advantage of the entire of Europe. By becoming a member of this consortium, Capgemini is committing to place all of its expertise and its world community to the service of a trigger that’s larger than us all individually: constructing sovereign and sustainable AI infrastructure that’s open to the complete European ecosystem. As a world chief in knowledge and AI-powered enterprise transformation, Capgemini has a particular accountability on this undertaking. Creating European AI gigafactories means providing our purchasers the opportunity of utilizing sovereign options by integrating the most recent technological advances with no trade-off between efficiency and management. Technological sovereignty can’t be decreed – it needs to be constructed, brick by brick, with the appropriate companions. We’re proud to be part of this journey.” Etienne Grass, Chief AI Officer at Capgemini Invent
“France has main strengths to prepared the ground within the improvement of AI infrastructure, together with competitively-priced, sovereign and low-carbon electrical energy. With this consortium, we’re embracing a shared ambition to construct a world-class European AI gigafactory primarily based in France, and EDF intends to completely contribute to this strategic momentum for Europe.” Beatrice Bigois, Group Senior Government Vice-President, Prospects & Vitality Providers, at EDF
“In a world the place computing capability is changing into a lever of energy, Europe can’t permit itself to depend upon infrastructure designed, financed and operated elsewhere. With AION, our purpose is to unite a variety of main gamers to construct world-class European AI infrastructure primarily based in France. AION has unprecedented technological clout, bringing collectively the easiest of French and European digital, industrial and vitality experience, and the iliad Group intends to contribute absolutely to the undertaking.” Thomas Reynaud, Chief Government Officer of the iliad Group
“France has distinctive property to form the subsequent chapter of European AI – front-ranking digital infrastructure, low-carbon vitality, and one of the dynamic analysis and innovation ecosystems in Europe. For Orange, becoming a member of the AION consortium displays our robust conviction that Europe wants collective motion to create a robust, open and inclusive European AI to drive the continent’s competitiveness. With its sovereign cloud and trusted AI capabilities, Orange brings to this undertaking what lies on the core of its id: a trusted participant that connects, secures and delivers sovereign digital companies for corporations, small companies and people.” Christel Heydemann, CEO of the Orange Group
“I’m delighted that the AION initiative launched final yr is continuous to achieve traction and appeal to broad assist. Inside this richly various industrial alliance, Scaleway will concentrate on its core experience of offering an open and interoperable sovereign cloud and AI platform serving companies, researchers and public-sector gamers. I’m satisfied that this undertaking, which incorporates leaders throughout the complete worth chain, will assist consolidate the foundations of a European AI sector constructed on openness, management and belief.” Damien Lucas, CEO of Scaleway