The new Artificial Intelligence flagship European project namely DeployAI is embarking on a transformative journey over the next four years, aiming to make artificial intelligence solutions more accessible and deployable across Europe for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the public sector. Backed by a €28 million funding from the European Commission, this initiative signifies a collaborative effort to shape the future of AI deployment in Europe.
At the core of DeployAI's mission is the creation of a comprehensive AI platform for both industry and the public sector, emphasizing trust, ethics, and transparency. This platform will be vendor-independent, ensuring fair and democratic access to cutting-edge AI technologies developed in Europe, including Generative AI and Large Language Models, and enabling innovation at large scale.
To ensure active stakeholder engagement, DeployAI will offer matchmaking services and an interactive landscape tool, facilitating collaboration and knowledge exchange within the European AI community, while a stakeholder observatory will help track the needs of the different segments of stakeholders.
DeployAI's commitment extends to embedding the AI on Demand Platform (AIoDP) within the European AI ecosystem, fostering collaboration with entities such as European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), Testing and Experimentation Facilities for AI (TEFs), Data Spaces, EuroHPC centers, and HPC/Cloud/Edge infrastructures and standardisation organisations. It will have a prominent role supporting the recently announced AI Factories and the GenAI4EU initiative, as part of the AI Innovation Package.
By leveraging the latest advancements in AI technology, DeployAI will provide a comprehensive and Trustworthy AI resource catalogue and marketplace, offering responsible AI resources and tools to push the usage and transfer of European AI solutions. The platform addresses multiple stakeholders, namely SMEs and public sector entities wishing to deploy AI as well as AI developers, AI consultants, AI managers and other AI experts from the European Industry and Public Sector.
The project, which is under the “Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Excellence” unit of the European Commission, kicked off officially during a two-day inaugural meeting on 29 February - 1 March 2024 in Berlin, Germany. With 28 partners from 13 European countries, with a balanced account of public and private organisations, DeployAI brings together diverse expertise and resources to drive the development and implementation of the platform.
A European Commission representative said: "We are very proud to launch DeployAI, a flagship project that will play a central role in the European AI ecosystem, implementing the innovation section of the “AI on demand platform”, with its marketplace for trustworthy AI “made in Europe” and critical support for AI innovators, user industry and public sector. We also expect DeployAI to be instrumental in the implementation of the AI Innovation package announced recently, with a 4Bn€ investment, to support the development and deployment of Generative AI, including the AI Factories and the GenAI4EU initiative."
DeployAI’s project coordinator Joachim Köhler, Head of Department at Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems IAIS, said: "We are excited to unveil DeployAI and its transformative potential in driving the adoption of trustworthy and ethical AI solutions across Europe. With the AI on Demand Platform, we aim to democratize access to AI technologies, especially access to European GenAI models and tools to ensure the digital sovereignty in this strategic relevant technology area."
The CEO of EIT Digital, Federico Menna, said: "The DeployAI initiative perfectly aligns with our commitment to driving digital transformation and innovation across Europe. By leveraging the AI on Demand Platform, we aim to bridge the gap between cutting-edge AI technologies and their practical application in industry and the public sector. Together with our esteemed consortium partners, we are poised to make a profound impact on how AI is developed, deployed, and utilized across Europe, setting a global benchmark for excellence in AI."
