Call: Testing and Experimentation Facility for Edge AI
Programme | |
Acronym | DIGITAL |
Type of Fund | Direct Management |
Description of programme "Digital Europe" |
The general objectives of the Digital Europe Programme shall be to support and accelerate the digital transformation of the European economy, industry and society, to bring its benefits to citizens, public administrations and businesses across the Union, and to improve the competitiveness of Europe in the global digital economy while contributing to bridging the digital divide across the Union and reinforcing the Union’s strategic autonomy, through holistic, cross-sectoral and cross-border support and a stronger Union contribution. The Programme shall be implemented in close coordination with other Union programmes as applicable, and shall aim:
It will reinforce EU critical digital capacities by focusing on the key areas of artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, advanced computing, data infrastructure, governance and processing, the deployment of these technologies and their best use for critical sectors like energy, climate change and environment, manufacturing, agriculture and health. Thus, the Programme shall have five interrelated specific objectives:
The Digital Europe Programme is strategic in supporting the digital transformation of the EU industrial ecosystems targeting upskilling to provide a workforce for these advanced digital technologies. It supports industry, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and public administration in their digital transformation with a reinforced network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH). The Programme will accelerate the economic recovery and drive the digital transformation of Europe. Specific Objective 1- High Performance Computing The financial contribution from the Union under Specific Objective 1 – High Performance Computing shall pursue the following operational objectives:
Specific Objective 2 – Artificial Intelligence The financial contribution from the Union under Specific Objective 2 – Artificial Intelligence shall pursue the following operational objectives:
Specific Objective 3 – Cybersecurity and Trust The financial contribution from the Union under Specific Objective 3 – Cybersecurity and Trust shall pursue the following operational objectives:
Specific Objective 4 – Advanced Digital Skills The financial contribution from the Union under Specific Objective 4 – Advanced Digital Skills shall support the development of advanced digital skills in areas covered by the Programme in order to contribute to increasing Europe’s talent pool, bridge the digital divide and foster greater professionalism, especially with regard to high performance and cloud computing, big data analytics, cybersecurity, distributed ledger technologies (e.g. blockchain), quantum technologies, robotics, AI, while taking gender balance into account. In order to tackle skills mismatches and to encourage specialisation in digital technologies and applications, the financial contribution shall pursue the following operational objectives:
Specific Objective 5 – Deployment and Best Use of Digital Capacities and Interoperability The financial contribution from the Union under Specific Objective 5 – Deployment and Best Use of Digital Capacities and Interoperability shall pursue the following operational objectives while bridging the digital divide:
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Link | Link to Programme |
Call | Testing and Experimentation
Facility for Edge AI |
Description of call "Testing and Experimentation Facility for Edge AI" | Objective: The overall aim of the Testing and Experimentation Facility (TEF) for Edge AI hardware is to ensure the availability in Europe of trusted, high-performance, low-power edge components and technologies to support the massive data-processing requirements of AI and the digital transformation. The emergence of novel computing paradigms, such as neuromorphic, provides an opportunity for the European industry to take the lead in a new generation of edge and distributed computing systems. The Edge AI TEF will also contribute to societal challenges, in terms of:
Scope: This project aims at delivering a European platform that will enable companies to develop, test and experiment AI product prototypes based on advanced low-power computing technologies, custom-designed for their application environment. It involves the set-up of facilities for design, fabrication, integration and verification, employing leading-edge equipment with advanced semiconductor process and fabrication technologies. Such a platform will be able to bring novel embedded AI technologies to high Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), delivering prototypes for field validation that can significantly accelerate industrialization and time-to-market for edge AI components, resulting in a competitive advantage for the European ecosystem. The TEF will realise a joint distributed platform (pilot line) to be led by EU centres of excellence in microelectronics technologies for advanced computing and key industrial actors of the microelectronics ecosystem such as integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) foundries and system integrators. The platform will be open to exploitation by EU industries, including SMEs, through direct support or through projects funded by other European or National programmes. In particular, strong cooperation is envisaged with the Joint Undertaking on Key Digital Technologies, which may support projects in close coordination with the TEF on Edge AI, as well as other EU partnerships in the area of AI, HPC, 5G/6G and cloud computing. Opportunities for future synergies with related actions on quantum computing infrastructure will also be evaluated. Through the collaboration of a network of European Digital Innovation Hubs, the Edge AI TEF will provide also SMEs and Start-ups with fast and simple access to world-class testing facilities, rich networks of stakeholders and potential customers. In cooperation with the sectorial TEFs in Manufacturing, Agri-food, Healthcare, Smart communities, the AI components delivered by the Edge AI TEF can be implemented in connected autonomous objects to be integrated in a distributed AI platform for applications such as industrial Internet of Things (IoT), precision agriculture, autonomous vehicles, implanted/wearable medical devices. The selection of projects to be supported by the Edge AI TEF will be based on the character of innovation, on the business potential and on the strategic dimension for Europe. The TEF infrastructure will put in place advanced semiconductor equipment that may also serve as a basis for quantum computing technologies, therefore opportunities for synergies with related Digital Europe actions on quantum computing infrastructure will be evaluated. The first phase of the project will focus on the procurement, installation and preparation of the infrastructure, developing the necessary interfaces and testing of existing solutions, and the development of frameworks for hardware/software co-design and prototyping. In the following phases, the project will develop innovative prototypes employing the most advanced architectures and technologies beyond the state-of-the-art, incorporating energy efficiency, operational trust and security, which will be tested and validated in the respective field of application, before transfer for industrialization and production by IDMs or foundries. Personnel costs incurred by beneficiaries to carry out the above activities next to procurement, will be considered eligible. Expected Outcome:
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Link | Link to Call |
Thematic Focus | Digitisation, ICT, Telecommunication, Research & Innovation, Technology Transfer & Exchange |
Funding area |
EU Member States Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) |
Origin of Applicant | EU Member States Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) |
Eligible applicants | Research Institution, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, SMEs (between 10 and 249 employees), Microenterprises (fewer than 10 employees), Other, Enterprise (more than 250 employees or not defined), Public Services, University, Lobby Group / Professional Association / Trade Union |
Applicant details | In order to be eligible,
the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
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Project Partner | Yes |
Project Partner Details | Proposals must be submitted by:
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Project duration max | 30 months |
Further info | Proposals must be complete and contain all the requested information
and all required annexes and supporting documents:
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Type of Funding | Grants |
Financial details | The
available call budget is EUR 78,000,000. This budget might be increased by maximum 20%. Funding rate: 50 % Project budget (maximum grant amount): EUR 78,000,000 per project |
Submission | Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Paper submissions are NOT possible. |
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