BRUSSELS - The European Union on Tuesday launched a call for setting up Artificial Intelligence Factories to boost the development of the AI technology.

AI Factories will be created around the network of European High-Performance Computing (EuroHPC) supercomputers and will be available to a range of European users, such as startups, industry and researchers, said the European Commission.

President of the EC Ursula von der Leyen said AI Factories will help secure EU's position at the forefront of this transformative technology.

AI Factories will help AI developers train their large generative AI models by using the EuroHPC supercomputers and providing access to data, computing and storage services.

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The AI Factories will be connected to EU member states' AI initiatives, creating a vibrant AI ecosystem, said the Commission.

They will propel the development and validation of AI industrial and scientific applications in key sectors such as healthcare, energy, automotive and transport, defence and aerospace, robotics and manufacturing, clean and agri tech, it said.

The call will be open until Dec 31, 2025, with the first deadline on Nov 4, 2024 and subsequent cut-off dates every three months for as long as funds are available.

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The call will be supported by an EU contribution of close to 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) from the Digital Europe Programme and Horizon Europe, and an equal amount of funding coming from the member states, said the Commission.