Greece is launching its own supercomputer that will run the country’s so-called AI Factory, joining Europe’s elite, seven-nation league selected by the EU to host dedicated AI facilities.
The Greek Ministry of Digital Governance and HP Hellas are signing a contract Wednesday that officially kick-start the project. Greece’s high-performance supercomputer called Daedalus will be developed by HP Hellas, which won the international open competition conducted by the National Infrastructures for Research and Technology (GRNET). The project is estimated to cost 41 million euros ($44.2 million).
The Greek supercomputer will provide cutting-edge computational capabilities to a wide range of Greek and European users, including researchers, academics and public sector organizations. Daedalus will have the capability to perform billions of mathematical calculations per second, with a computational power equivalent to one million conventional computers running simultaneously.
With the project expected to begin immediately, the Greek supercomputer is expected to be fully operational by 2026.
Greece is among seven European countries selected by the European Commission (Finland, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Spain and Luxemburg) to host dedicated AI facilities. The seven so-called AI Factories aim to speed up advancements in artificial intelligence across keay sectors, such as energy, healthcare and climate science.
AI Factory in Greece, run by Daedalus supercomputer, “a hub for research and knowledge”
In December 2024, it was announced that Greece was one of seven EU countries selected by the European Commission to establish and operate the first AI Factories in Europe with community and national funding.
The European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC) selected seven proposals worth 1.5 billion euros in total for AI Factories in Athens, Barcelona, Bissen (Luxembourg), Bologna, Kajaani (Finland), Linköping (Sweden), and Stuttgart.
EuroHPC has called the event “a major milestone for Europe, in building a thriving ecosystem to train advanced AI models and develop AI solutions.”
“Our goal is for the Greek AI Factory to become a hub for research and knowledge of our wider geographical region, highlighting Greece as a technological hub,” PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis said. “In AI infrastructure, Greece is now playing in the European Champions League.”
Greece’s AI Factory, named “Pharos” (Lighthouse in Greek), will be developed at the Technological and Cultural Park of Lavrio, east of Athens. It will focus on health, Greek language and culture, and sustainable development. It is budgeted at 30 million euros, funded equally by EuroHPC and national resources. Its start of operation is scheduled in March 2025, with a total duration of 36 months.
It is expected to contribute decisively to the development and continuous support of an innovative and competitive ecosystem of start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Greece.
The project is part of flagship projects under the Plan for Greece’s Transition to the AI era, formulated by a consultation committee on AI.
Some of its expected contributions include improving Greece’s competitiveness through access to large data and highly skilled personnel, analysis of satellite data to manage natural resources and handle climate change, and training talent, while creating a trans-border innovation ecosystem.
Pharos will be implemented by a national consortium headed by GRNET, in collaboration with the ‘Demokritos’ National Centre For Scientific Research, the National Technical University of Athens (‘Polytechnic’), the ‘Athena’ Research Center, and Growthfund/National Investment Fund, in direct collaboration with the government’s Special Secretariat of Strategic Foresight.
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