AGH University of Science and Technology

11/20/2024 | News release | Archived content

AI to gain power at AGH University

AI to gain power at AGH University
20-11-2024

The first AI Factory in Poland is to be established by expanding the resources of the Academic Computer Centre CYFRONET. The Polish Council of Ministers has decided that, as part of an amendment to the Finance Act, almost PLN 70 million will be allocated to support the project. The AGH University supercomputer Helios will be bolstered with significant computing power and will join the European artificial intelligence ecosystem. The project will be co-financed by the European Union. CYFRONET will also be engaged in the works on the integration of the Polish language model in public services, initiated by the Ministry of Digital Affairs with the PLLuM Consortium (Polish Large Language Model) and the Centre for Information Technology.

The establishment of the AI Factory brings an abundance of benefits. What AI truly needs are computational power and data. Poland already is a world leader in data openness, and computational power is an area worth investing in. Co-financed by the EU, the AI Factory is an enormous step in this regard. Helios is the fastest supercomputer in Poland, ranked in the top 100 fastest supercomputers in the world and 7th in terms of energy efficiency.

"One of Europe's first AI Factories is being created here in Krakow. We want this to be the first stop in the expansion of computing power for Polish artificial intelligence. We need to make the most of this potential. As a result, we will be able to better diagnose diseases and introduce new medication to the market at a faster pace," said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski. "We are also pleased that an example of such an action, already underway, is the cooperation of CYFRONET with the Polish Large Language Model Consortium (PLLuM), the Centre for Information Technology, and the Ministry of Digital Affairs. These entities will join forces to lay the foundation for a modern, digital administration based on artificial intelligence. Their aim is to integrate the Polish language model into public services, which will open up new possibilities for communication between citizens and public administration."

In a rapidly changing technological world, it is crucial for the existing research and technology centres to be actively involved in projects of strategic importance to the country. This approach enables not only the efficient use of available resources, but also the building of synergies between different centres of knowledge and competence.

"The investment in the creation of the AI Factory at CYFRONET is a key step towards strengthening Poland's position in the European artificial intelligence ecosystem. Thanks to financial support from the state and the cooperation with the European Commission, we will develop a computing infrastructure that will allow our university and the country to enter a new level of technological advancement," said AGH University Rector Jerzy Lis. "I am convinced that this project will not only bring significant benefits to science, but will also have a positive impact on the development of an innovation-based economy. Compliments are also due to the CYFRONET management and the entire expert team of this unit, who will be involved in a project of great potential and importance for Poland's technological future."

In December 2024, the Ministry of Digital Affairs is launching an intensive hackathon that will bring together experts from these units. Its main objective will be to develop solutions to support the effective integration of the Polish language model into public administration systems. This event will not only set the stage for further work, but will also build a collaborative environment between the public and technology sectors.

The introduction of AI into public services is a milestone on the way to building a 21st century digital administration.

Key advantages:

  • increased accessibility of services
    due to the integration of language models, citizens will be able to use public services in a more intuitive and natural way - using the Polish language;
  • customisation of services
    modern AI tools will enable a faster and more precise response to citizens' needs;
  • efficient administration
    automation and support of decision-making processes allows to act faster and more efficiently, while lowering the operational costs.


As one of top computational facilities in Poland, CYFRONET brings its knowledge, experience, and powerful technological resources to this venture. Owing to the commitment of CYFRONET and the Wrocław Centre for Networking and Supercomputing (now in the PLLuM consortium), it is possible to process the huge datasets necessary to train and develop the Polish language model, and to test its functionality in an environment of the highest technological standards.

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Supporting the establishment of Poland's first AI Factory was the main topic of the press conference with the participation of Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski, Minister of Digital Affairs, Government Plenipotentiary for Cybersecurity. The meeting with media took place on 20 November 2024 in the AGH University Academic Computer Centre CYFRONET.

Photograph: AGH University

Photograph: AGH University

Photograph: AGH University