The new infrastructure will expand the services of the BSC's existing supercomputer and is designed to allow European startups and scaleups to train their AI projects through a competitive selection process, given that these projects are particularly computationally intensive during their testing phases. Fsas Technologies and Telefónica will integrate the complete solution and provide support and operation services throughout the project's lifecycle, until July 2029. The technological proposal incorporates cutting-edge technology, as well as the network architectures, security solutions, and management tools necessary to ensure efficient, scalable, and secure use of the platform from outside the BSC.
With this project, Fsas Technologies and Telefónica solidify their position as leading strategic partners in the deployment of advanced Artificial Intelligence infrastructures in Europe, combining connectivity, computing, and critical platform operation capabilities. The initiative reinforces the role of both companies as key players in fostering a competitive European AI ecosystem aligned with the European Union's principles of technological sovereignty. In addition to the increased computing capacity that will serve all European AI Factories, the BSC will provide, through the BSC AI Factory, a comprehensive suite of advanced services and resources. These include support from scientific experts specializing in supercomputing and Artificial Intelligence, as well as assistance and facilitation to accelerate the adoption of these technologies by businesses.
Since this infrastructure will allow access from outside the region, enhanced cybersecurity layers will also be incorporated to ensure safe and controlled use. The project helps bridge the technological gap between Europe and other major markets by providing startups and scaleups with supercomputing and artificial intelligence capabilities, just as their competitors in the United States do. This new infrastructure, located at the BSC, enables European companies to compete on a level playing field with those from other continents, boosting access to strategic resources for innovation.
The consortium formed by Fsas Technologies and Telefónica has been awarded a contract worth €128.79 million from the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU). The project falls under the AI Continent program, the European Union's initiative to create a competitive artificial intelligence sector. One of its key pillars is the AI Factories, public infrastructures that provide advanced supercomputing capabilities and scientific support to European startups, scaleups, and SMEs, with a clear objective: to reduce barriers to entry and enable them to train AI models on a level playing field with international competitors.
