FAQ

Frequently asked questions

• What is the aim of AI Factory Austria?

  The AI Factory Austria pursues the overarching goal of establishing a central workshop and laboratory for AI innovations in Austria. It is a functional and organizational unit in which AI solutions can be developed, trained and tested – across sectors from industry and companies to public administration. Unlike a planned “AI Gigafactory” (a large-scale industrial data center for generative AI), the AI Factory Austria serves as a test laboratory with extensive support: from software stacks and computing power to service offerings. In short, it aims to promote innovation with artificial intelligence in Austria by offering companies and public bodies easy access to infrastructure, expertise and advice.

• How is the AI Factory Austria organized and structured?

  AI Factory Austria rests on three central pillars:

  1. High-performance computer (HPC cluster): A new supercomputer with associated storage and data connectivity is being set up to enable secure and trustworthy AI applications (budget approx. €50 million for setup and 5 years of operation).
  2. Open source software stack: To make the supercomputer usable, a proprietary software stack based on open components is being developed to support the entire lifecycle of AI applications (from training and fine-tuning models to data management). In addition, model and data repositories with pre-trained AI models and relevant data sets are being created so that companies and start-ups can quickly develop and validate AI services.
  3. Service Hub: The AI Factory Austria Hub is central to this, offering operational support for the use of the HPC infrastructure on the one hand and consisting of an Innovation Center and Learning Center on the other. The Innovation Center focuses on the implementation of AI proof-of-concepts and new AI solutions as well as support with business model development and “access to money” (networking start-ups with investors). The Learning Center bundles training and further education offers, from online to on-site courses, to build up AI skills. In addition, a coworking space will be set up in Vienna where companies can implement projects and start-ups can work on site. The offer is rounded off with advice on regulatory and ethical issues to ensure trustworthy AI applications.

• Welche Services und Ressourcen bietet die AI Factory Austria konkret an?

  Die AI Factory Austria stellt ein umfassendes Service-Paket für KI-Projekte bereit. Dazu gehören insbesondere:

  • Computing power: Access to a modern supercomputer (high-performance computing cluster) with GPU resources that is specially designed for AI applications. Companies can use it to train, fine-tune and execute AI models (inference), including support for data management and model deployment.
  • Software & tools: A preconfigured open-source software stack simplifies development throughout the entire AI lifecycle. Pre-trained AI models, databases and AI tools are also provided so that users do not have to start from scratch.
  • Advice and expert support: A one-stop-shop approach ensures that users are advised centrally. The AI Factory Austria team helps with questions regarding the implementation of AI ideas, provides technical experts and gives guidance on the selection of suitable technologies. Coworking spaces and community offerings allow companies and start-ups to work directly with AI experts and benefit from an advisory function in the form of workshops and consultation hours.
  • Training and continuing education: The Learning Centre offers training programmes to build expertise, from basic workshops for AI beginners to specialised courses for experienced users. The aim is to make it easier for companies with little or no prior knowledge of AI to get started.
  • Proof-of-concept support: The AI Factory Austria focuses on developing pilot projects and prototypes (PoCs) together with users. Companies can test and further develop their AI ideas in a protected environment, minimizing the risk and effort for them. If a PoC is successful, AI Factory Austria also helps with the handover to operations – for example by networking with European cloud providers or future AI gigafactories for scaling the solutions.
  • Network and community: The AI Factory Austria acts as a network hub to connect players in the Austrian AI landscape. It bundles existing initiatives and facilitates the exchange between companies, start-ups, research and the public sector. This creates a community in which experiences can be shared, collaborations initiated and synergies exploited.

• How do I get access to the AI Factory Austria offers?

  Access should be as low-threshold as possible. Interested companies or organizations can initially contact the AI Factory Austria directly – for example via the official website or by e-mail to the AI Factory Austria team. A central one-stop store is planned, where all inquiries will be bundled. There you will receive initial advice on which services, programs or funding opportunities are best suited to your own project. AI Factory Austria works closely with business associations (e.g. Federation of Austrian Industries, Chamber of Commerce) and funding agencies to actively approach and support companies. There will be regular information events and the offer will be adapted to the needs of users in an agile manner – feedback from companies and other users will therefore be continuously incorporated into the design of the services.

• Are there any costs for using the AI Factory Austria and are there any subsidies?

  Use of the AI Factory Austria will be free of charge or heavily subsidized in the start-up phase. Start-ups and SMEs in particular will be able to use the services free of charge. In general, the consortium is endeavoring to make access free of charge for everyone in the first few years. This is made possible by the project’s high funding volume (around €80 million) – the infrastructure and expert services are already financed (“fully funded”), meaning that proof-of-concepts can be carried out without any cost risk for users. Of course, the model must be compatible with state aid regulations (keyword: EU state aid law), which is why close coordination is taking place with ministries and funding agencies. The long-term plan is to dovetail AI Factory Austria with existing funding programs: Companies could, for example, access the AI Factory Austria infrastructure as part of R&D funding projects. In summary, this means that users will not incur any direct costs in the initial phase – financing will be provided by the project and public funds – and sustainable funding models for the future will be developed in parallel.

• How does AI Factory Austria ensure the security of company data?

  Data security has top priority. AI Factory Austria plans to operate the infrastructure in accordance with strict security standards. Specifically, it is aiming for certification in accordance with the NIS II directive (network and information security) and ISO 27001. The entire platform will be multi-client capable – in other words, the data and calculations of each user organization are clearly isolated from each other so that no unauthorized access is possible. Additional organizational measures (e.g. access authorizations, monitoring) are intended to guarantee the highest possible level of security. These precautions were prioritized in direct dialogue with companies, as industry and SMEs in particular pay great attention to the protection of sensitive data. Together with the planned legal and ethical support – for example on issues relating to the use of databases with regard to copyright – the AI Factory creates a trustworthy environment for AI experiments. Companies can therefore use their data for proof-of-concepts without having to worry about it falling into the wrong hands or being misused.

• What is the schedule for the AI Factory Austria? (Supercomputer construction and coworking space)

  The project is currently under construction (start 2025). The AI Factory Austria is scheduled to start operations in July 2025 and the first services for pilot users will be offered in October 2025. The hardware will be procured in parallel – the supercomputer is being created as a joint European procurement project – and installed in stages. According to the plan, the complete HPC cluster will be operational and available in January 2027.

  The coworking space in Vienna is expected to be ready for use much earlier. The exact location is still being determined, but it will be in Vienna, either near TU Wien (Karlsplatz) or in the St. Marx area, where a technology cluster is located. It is important to the organizers that the location is easily accessible by public transport. The coworking space will serve as a physical meeting place where project teams, start-ups and AI Factory Austria experts can work together on AI projects and exchange ideas.

• Is the AI Factory Austria intended exclusively for Austrian players, or can international partners also use it?

  Although the AI Factory Austria primarily addresses Austrian companies and institutions, it is integrated into a European network and is also open to international users. Half of the supercomputer is funded by EuroHPC (the European High Performance Computing initiative), which means that some of the computing resources are allocated throughout the EU. Access to these HPC resources is via Europe-wide tendering and selection procedures, similar to other EuroHPC systems. Although the services (consulting, training, etc.) are primarily aimed at players in Austria , companies from other European countries can also apply to participate. In particular, cooperation with neighboring countries without their own AI Factory (e.g. Slovakia) is being considered. For this purpose, so-called “AI Factory Antennas” are to be set up – local contact points in countries that do not have their own AI Factory to support interested companies there and serve as a bridge to AI Factory Austria. In short: international partners are welcome, and AI Factory Austria sees itself as part of the European AI community.

• What is the European dimension of the project - how is the AI Factory Austria networked in Europe?

  AI Factory Austria is a building block of the European AI initiative. It was selected as part of an EU call and co-financed with EU funds (EuroHPC programme). Accordingly, it has been geared from the outset to cooperate and exchange information with other AI Factories emerging in Europe. The AI Factory Austria team is in close contact with partners in other countries to share best practices – which services work well, how can companies be supported most effectively, etc. At the same time, coordination with European cloud providers and the planned AI gigafactories is underway. The aim is to create a seamless connection: the AI Factories serve as national test and experimentation environments, while the Gigafactories will enable large-scale operational deployment in a few years’ time. This integration means that an AI solution developed as a prototype at AI Factory Austria can later be easily transferred to large-scale European computing infrastructures and scaled up. Another aspect of the European dimension is the open-source approach: AI Factory deliberately relies on open software stacks and coordinates with European initiatives (e.g. cloud providers) to offer companies an easily accessible, sovereign alternative to proprietary AI platforms. All this is done in line with the European data strategy – for example, by connecting to European data spaces, which are important sources of training data. AI Factory Austria is thus helping to shape a pan-European AI ecosystem.

• Are there examples of specific AI applications that could be developed in the AI Factory Austria?

  Yes, the range of possible AI applications is wide – in principle, AI methods can help wherever data is generated along the value chain. To give a concrete example: in the field of materials research, a company could use AI to develop new materials. Generative AI can be used to automatically search scientific literature and databases to find patterns and correlations that are relevant for new materials. These findings can then be linked to laboratory data and analysed using machine learning to identify promising material candidates. Such an AI-supported approach significantly accelerates development cycles compared to conventional methods.

  This example is representative of many industries: AI has potential in almost all areas, from design and engineering to production, sales, after-sales and marketing. Companies should ask themselves where the greatest potential for AI support lies in their processes – the AI Factory then helps to develop and test appropriate solutions. A number of focus areas have already been identified in which Austria has particular strengths and which will therefore be given initial priority. These include biotechnology and life sciences (such as pharmaceuticals and medical research, where Vienna has an international profile), manufacturing (from process optimisation to new materials), public administration (with the aim of making public services more efficient and citizen-friendly) and physics/basic research (e.g. the use of AI in materials or quantum research). However, this list is not exhaustive – the AI Factory is open to all areas of application that are brought to its attention by companies or public authorities. Ultimately, it is important to be able to demonstrate tangible pilot projects that show the added value AI can bring to different domains.

• What role does AI Factory Austria play in the context of Europe's digital sovereignty?

  AI Factory Austria contributes to Europe’s digital sovereignty by becoming part of a European infrastructure for trustworthy AI. The idea behind is not to leave key technologies such as AI exclusively to global tech giants, but to build up Europe’s own capabilities and resources. The AI Factory acts as a test and innovation environment at the national level, where AI solutions are developed in accordance with European data protection and ethical standards. For the productive operation and scaling of these solutions, the EU is planning a few very large AI gigafactories – five are planned in Europe – which will then form the counterpart to the data centres of American tech companies. Together with these gigafactories, the AI Factory will create the conditions for European companies to have access to world-class AI infrastructure without being dependent on non-European providers.

  Added to this is the open-source software stack that the AI Factory is building: by focusing on open software and interfaces, users are not forced to enter proprietary ecosystems. Instead, an easily accessible, interoperable platform is created that harmonises with European cloud services. This strengthens independence (sovereignty) in two ways: firstly, technically, as Europe develops its own expertise in AI systems, and secondly, in terms of trust, as European values such as data protection, transparency and trustworthy AI are taken into account from the outset. In short, the AI Factory aims to help Europe maintain and expand its “digital autonomy” in the field of AI by offering domestic players a strong alternative for driving AI innovation in a secure, ethical and European manner.

• What support does the AI Factory Austria offer specifically for start-ups?

  Start-ups are a particular focus of the AI Factory Austria. Young companies can apply from fall 2025. They will receive comprehensive support to further develop their business idea with AI components. The support combines technical assistance (access to AI experts, data specialists, mentors) with business consulting (business development, pitch training, etc.) to create a holistic package. An access-to-money module is also planned, in which the AI Factory will connect start-ups with investors in order to facilitate financing for promising AI ideas.

  Secondly, start-ups benefit from the same free resources as other SMEs: they receive access to the AI Factory’s computing infrastructure and software tools without a usage fee. This is a great advantage, especially for young companies that would otherwise not be able to afford expensive GPU servers or licenses. Start-ups can also use the coworking space to collaborate with the AI Factory team and other innovators on site in Vienna – creating a productive environment and valuable networking. Through these measures, the AI Factory aims to help turn good AI ideas into marketable solutions and successful start-ups more quickly.

• How do companies benefit from the AI Factory?

  The AI Factory Austria offers companies – whether medium-sized or large – the opportunity to try out and implement AI innovations with minimal risk. Normally, AI projects are associated with considerable effort and uncertainty. The AI Factory, on the other hand, creates a protected space for proof-of-concepts: companies can identify new AI use cases in their business area and pilot them together with the AI Factory experts without having to make large investments immediately. The necessary infrastructure and personnel support is provided, which greatly reduces the barriers to entry. This significantly reduces the innovation risk for the company.

  The AI Factory also acts as a consulting and referral center. At the AI Factory Austria, companies have access to concentrated know-how – be it in the form of technical AI experts, industry expertise from the network or training programs to further educate their own employees. Coworking and community events allow company representatives to work directly with specialists, which promotes the transfer of knowledge. If an AI project exceeds the AI Factory’s capacities or requires very specialized research knowledge, the company is forwarded to suitable partners in the network – such as universities or non-university institutes. In this way, the AI Factory also acts as a guide: it offers help for self-help and supports companies with their first AI steps, but is also available to refer them to experts or funding programs if necessary.

  Finally, the network also creates synergies for companies. The AI Factory brings together different players and industries, enabling new collaborations. For example, an SME can benefit from the experience of another or work on a use case together with a start-up and research partners. Overall, the AI Factory enables companies to find out more quickly what potential AI has for them and receive support in exploiting this potential at a reasonable cost.

• How will you collaborate with existing corporate and research initiatives?

  The AI Factory focuses on cooperation rather than competition with existing initiatives. It is designed not to duplicate existing offerings, but rather to serve as a hub that brings together different forces. The AI Factory consortium includes all the key players in the Austrian research and innovation landscape – from universities (e.g. TU Vienna, JKU Linz) and research centres (AIT, ÖAW) to start-up incubators (such as INiTS in Vienna or EXISTer at ISTA). This broad network of partners ensures that expertise from all areas is available.

  In practical terms, the collaboration works in such a way that the AI Factory acts as the first point of contact for companies. When a company comes to us with a question, the AI Factory first offers low-threshold services, such as consulting, workshops, and assistance in a co-working project. If it turns out that in-depth research or very specific expertise is required to solve the problem, the AI Factory brings in its partners. For example, if a company’s question develops into a topic that requires basic research (such as a new AI methodology), the AI Factory could recommend setting up a collaborative research project. It would establish contact with the scientific institution that is a leader in this field (e.g. a university or an FWF cluster of excellence) and actively refer the company to this partner.

  In this way, the AI Factory connects business and science. Companies benefit from faster answers and solutions because they don’t have to spend time searching for the right contacts themselves. And research institutes reach more companies that are interested in their technologies through the AI Factory. The result is an ecosystem in which everyone does what they do best: the AI Factory provides infrastructure and practical know-how, research provides specialist knowledge and new technologies – and together, AI innovations are applied more efficiently.

• How can research institutions get involved in the AI Factory Austria?

  Research institutions – universities, universities of applied sciences, non-university institutes – are an integral part of the AI Factory. On the one hand, many of them are directly represented in the consortium and help to set up the infrastructure and services. On the other hand, the AI Factory offers all research institutions the opportunity to contribute their expertise to ongoing projects. If, for example, training programmes or toolkits that are useful for companies already exist at a university, the AI Factory does not want to reinvent them, but rather make deliberate use of such existing offerings. Researchers can therefore inform the AI Factory of the assets (training courses, libraries, algorithms, etc.) they can contribute so that these can be included in the service portfolio.

  The AI Factory also acts as a mediator for research collaborations. As described above, companies with very research-intensive concerns are referred to suitable scientific partners. This gives rise to new projects at the interface between science and industry. Research institutions can use the AI Factory to more easily get in touch with industry partners who have specific problems and data – which in turn is ideal for applied research projects. Researchers can also submit their own ideas to the AI Factory to test them with industrial data. In the future, formats such as “Researcher in Residence” are conceivable, where scientists work together with companies in the AI Factory’s co-working space for a limited time.

  Last but not least, the AI Factory helps to transfer research results into practice. Since AIT and universities are involved, there is a constant exchange: new algorithms or findings from AI research can be tested directly on use cases and further developed in the AI Factory. Conversely, experience gained from application flows back into research (e.g. which methods work particularly well or where there are still gaps). This close interlinking of research and application is a core principle of the AI Factory.

• What advantages does the AI Factory offer public administration?

  The public sector is explicitly one of AI Factory Austria’s target groups. Austria’s administration is already an international leader in the field of e-government; there is a state AI implementation plan that serves as a basis. However, there is still far greater potential here. The AI Factory is intended to support authorities in developing AI solutions for administrative tasks – for example, for the automation of routine activities, for better evaluation of large data sets or for citizen-oriented services (chatbots, personalized services, etc.). AI could enable administrative services to be provided more efficiently and cost-effectively in future without compromising on service quality. This is particularly important in view of the shortage of skilled workers and increasing tasks in order to maintain the efficiency of the administration.

  Through the AI Factory, public authorities can access resources that they would struggle to build up themselves, such as computing capacity for data-intensive AI models or highly qualified personnel for data analysis. At the same time, the AI Factory ensures that all legal and ethical requirements are met – a key consideration for the public sector. Issues of data protection, IT security and transparency of AI systems are taken into account from the outset (keyword: trustworthy AI). This allows the administration to embrace innovation without compliance concerns. Some possible areas of application include predictive maintenance in infrastructure, AI support for application processing or decision-making, and forecasting models for better resource planning. By bringing together different ministries, agencies and public enterprises in projects, the AI Factory also creates a learning platform: Good AI solutions developed in one place can be quickly transferred to other authorities via the network. Overall, the AI Factory helps the public sector maintain digitale Souveränität – in other words, to use the latest AI technologies for the benefit of citizens without becoming dependent on individual providers. It is therefore an important building block for the innovative, efficient, secure and legally compliant development of public administration.