EIMIN: Lithuania wins €65 million EU tender for the country's first artificial intelligence centre
A Lithuanian consortium has won €65 million in co-financing for LitAI, a new centre dedicated to developing and applying artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. With a total project value of €130 million, it will be the only AI factory of this scale in the Baltic States. The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) will co-finance 50% of the project from EU funds.
'This is a strategic step towards Lithuania's digital progress. This achievement confirms that Lithuania has both the competence and the potential to become an important part of the European AI and high-performance computing ecosystem. The LitAI factory will strengthen our science and innovation capabilities and directly contribute to economic growth and the development of advanced technologies throughout the country," said the Minister of the Economy and Innovation, Edvinas Grikšas.
The Ministry of the Economy and Innovation (EIMIN) will be responsible for the strategic development and competitiveness of the AI factory.
'LitAI will strengthen Lithuania's technological independence and national security — our data and AI solutions will be created and processed in Lithuania. This project has the potential to generate up to €360 million in economic returns and enable the state to operate more efficiently, quickly and securely," said Vice Minister of the Economy and Innovation, Paulius Petrauskas.
The goal of LitAI is to transform Lithuania's high-performance computing (HPC) capabilities by creating an independent, AI-optimised infrastructure that can meet national and European strategic needs. Vilnius University will lead the project, and the equipment will be housed in the VDC3 data centre of the Lithuanian Radio and Television Centre in Vilnius.
The LitAI facility will provide over 80 services, including high-performance computing resources, data storage, accelerator access, and innovation promotion throughout Lithuania and its regions. Particular attention will be paid to strategic areas such as cybersecurity, green energy, smart industry and digital health.
The Lithuanian consortium consists of Vilnius University, Kaunas University of Technology, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vytautas Magnus University, the State Data Agency, the State Digital Solutions Agency, the Lithuanian Radio and Television Centre (Telecentras), the Innovation Agency, and other partners.