Press Launch
Within the coming years, the competitiveness of EU economies will instantly rely on their potential to entry huge computing energy that’s out there, reasonably priced and sovereign. The problem is industrial, monetary and strategic: enabling European firms to coach, deploy and function their AI fashions beneath managed situations by way of efficiency, price and sovereignty.
That is exactly the intention of the challenge 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 the entire crucial abilities required for creating new-generation European infrastructure.
The consortium leverages the complementary strengths of a large spectrum of benchmark gamers masking all the 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, educational and industrial companions, in addition to person firms reminiscent of 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 ample, reasonably priced, sovereign and low-carbon electrical energy because of its vitality combine that’s primarily made up of nuclear and hydraulic energy, in addition to strong digital infrastructure and acknowledged experience throughout the entire worth chain, significantly in information facilities, cloud providers and high-performance computing.
France has additionally established itself as one of the crucial 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 means of to main end-user firms, it brings collectively the complete vary of abilities wanted to construct a aggressive AI business 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 non-public firms and public-sector gamers, and driving competitiveness and innovation.
An ambition constructed on 4 pillars
The AION consortium relies on 4 basic 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 the usage of open supply applied sciences, in addition to partnerships to strengthen the European ecosystem.
- Accountability: growing AI for the advantage of European analysis, companies and residents with a specific deal with containing its environmental footprint.
An open consortium to convey collectively the European ecosystem
The alliance introduced as we speak marks the start line of a challenge 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 information and AI, Artefact is uniquely positioned to watch the fast progress in demand for computing energy, in addition to the dearth of adequate sovereign options. We’re technology-agnostic and our precedence is to supply our clients with actually resilient options primarily based on three dimensions of sovereignty: know-how, operations and information. There’s no time for firms to attend – the infrastructure of the longer term must be constructed as we speak. By becoming a member of the AION consortium, Artefact will be capable to deploy essentially the most formidable AI use circumstances for its clients, inside a totally sovereign framework, making certain freedom, safety and resilience.” Vincent Luciani, Govt 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 mates on the iliad Group and the Orange group to affix 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 growing sustainable and resilient AI computing capability on a big scale.” Benoît Gaillochet, Head of Infrastructure Europe at Ardian
“This initiative is especially vital for Bull in its capability as the one participant able to guaranteeing a largely European provide chain for AI, cloud and supercomputer infrastructure. We see AION as a pure extension of our strategic pathway, bringing further computing capabilities devoted to simulation and AI, growing new AI-optimized {hardware} applied sciences, and deploying our software program platform and information science providers to allow the manufacturing of commercial AI use circumstances. By means of AION, we’re reaffirming our dedication to strengthening Europe’s potential to develop and function next-generation AI and cloud infrastructure, whereas laying the foundations for a extra resilient, aggressive and unbiased know-how ecosystem.” Emmanuel Le Roux, CEO of Bull
“Europe has all the pieces it takes to jot down one of the crucial 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 power to convey collectively these strengths primarily based on a shared challenge 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 greater than us all individually: constructing sovereign and sustainable AI infrastructure that’s open to all the European ecosystem. As a world chief in information and AI-powered enterprise transformation, Capgemini has a selected accountability on this challenge. Creating European AI gigafactories means providing our shoppers the potential for 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 precise companions. We’re proud to be part of this journey.” Etienne Grass, Chief AI Officer at Capgemini Invent
“France has main strengths to paved the way 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 totally contribute to this strategic momentum for Europe.” Beatrice Bigois, Group Senior Govt Vice-President, Clients & Vitality Providers, at EDF
“In a world the place computing capability is changing into a lever of energy, Europe can not permit itself to rely on infrastructure designed, financed and operated elsewhere. With AION, our intention 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 perfect of French and European digital, industrial and vitality experience, and the iliad Group intends to contribute absolutely to the challenge.” Thomas Reynaud, Chief Govt Officer of the iliad Group
“France has distinctive property to form the following chapter of European AI – front-ranking digital infrastructure, low-carbon vitality, and one of the crucial dynamic analysis and innovation ecosystems in Europe. For Orange, becoming a member of the AION consortium displays our sturdy 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 challenge what lies on the core of its id: a trusted participant that connects, secures and delivers sovereign digital providers for firms, 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 entice broad assist. Inside this richly numerous industrial alliance, Scaleway will deal with 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 challenge, which incorporates leaders throughout all the worth chain, will assist consolidate the foundations of a European AI sector constructed on openness, management and belief.” Damien Lucas, CEO of Scaleway
