The DeployAI project, an Artificial Intelligence flagship initiative in Europe, officially launched, aimed at making AI solutions more accessible and deployable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the public sector across Europe. With €28 million funding from the European Commission, DeployAI represents a collaborative effort to shape the future of AI deployment in Europe.
Central to DeployAI’s mission is the creation of a comprehensive AI platform for industry and the public sector, emphasizing trust, ethics, and transparency. This vendor-independent platform seeks to democratize access to advanced AI technologies developed in Europe, such as Generative AI and Large Language Models, thereby facilitating innovation on a large scale.
To engage stakeholders effectively, DeployAI will offer matchmaking services and an interactive landscape tool to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange within the European AI community. Additionally, a stakeholder observatory will track the diverse needs of various stakeholder segments.
A significant aspect of DeployAI is its integration with the broader European AI ecosystem. It plans to collaborate with entities like European Digital Innovation Hubs, Testing and Experimentation Facilities for AI, Data Spaces, EuroHPC centers, and various infrastructures and standardization organizations. DeployAI is positioned to support the AI Factories and the GenAI4EU initiative under the AI Innovation Package.
DeployAI aims to leverage the latest in AI technology to provide a comprehensive and Trustworthy AI resource catalogue and marketplace. This platform will cater to various stakeholders, including SMEs, public sector entities, AI developers, consultants, managers, and experts in the European industry and public sector, focusing on the responsible use and transfer of European AI solutions.
The project, part of the “Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Excellence” unit of the European Commission, commenced with an inaugural meeting on February 29 – March 1, 2024, in Berlin, Germany. With 28 partners from 13 European countries, DeployAI unites a diverse array of public and private organizations to drive the development and implementation of this platform.
A representative of the European Commission highlighted the strategic importance of DeployAI in the European AI ecosystem, particularly its role in implementing the “AI on demand platform” section of the AI Innovation Package. This initiative is expected to be instrumental in the deployment of Generative AI, including the AI Factories and the GenAI4EU initiative, part of a €4 billion investment.
Joachim Köhler, the project coordinator from Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems IAIS, expressed excitement about DeployAI’s potential in promoting the adoption of trustworthy and ethical AI solutions across Europe. The AI on Demand Platform aims to democratize access to AI technologies, particularly European GenAI models and tools, to ensure digital sovereignty in this strategically relevant technology area.
Federico Menna, CEO of EIT Digital, emphasized that the DeployAI initiative aligns with their commitment to driving digital transformation and innovation across Europe. By utilizing the AI on Demand Platform, DeployAI seeks to bridge the gap between advanced AI technologies and their practical application, setting a global benchmark for excellence in AI.
The DeployAI Consortium consists of the following partners:
Coordinator: Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems (IAIS), Germany
Partners:
- AALTO University, Finland
- Aspect Partners, Germany
- European Centre for medium-range Weather Forecast, United Kingdom
- Convotis Services, Austria
- Hellenic Telecommunications Organization S.A (OTE), Greece
- Croatian Artificial Intelligence Association, Croatia
- National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Greece
- EIT Digital, Belgium
- DIMECC, Finland
- F6S Network, Ireland
- Bruno Kessler Institute, Italy
- FIWARE Foundation, Germany
- German AI Association, Germany
- Hub France IA, France
- IONOS SE, Germany
- LIGHT ON, France
- LuxProvide SA, Luxembourg
- Science For You (SciFY), Greece
- Silo AI, Finland
- AI Sweden, Sweden
- VDE – Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies, Germany
- Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS), Greece
- CSC- IT Center for Science, Finland
- Arcada University of Applied Sciences, Finland
- Örebro University, Sweden
- Technical University of Denmark – DTU, Denmark
