PROGRAMME SUMMARY
The Ministry of the Economy and the National Research Fund (FNR), together with Luxinnovation, are launching a new joint call for projects in the fields of high-performance computing (HPC) and/or artificial intelligence (AI). This initiative aims to support companies and public research institutions working on projects in these domains.
The goal is to accelerate the adoption of AI and/or HPC within Luxembourg’s ecosystem.
This call for projects primarily targets private-sector stakeholders with strong R&D capabilities but limited in-house experience in artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC). By encouraging collaborations between public research and industry, the objective of the call is to support these companies in exploring, adopting, and integrating cutting-edge AI and HPC technologies into their operations, thereby accelerating innovation and boosting long-term competitiveness.
It is also a strategic priority of the FNR to turn public research into a competitive advantage for Luxembourg and to give researchers the opportunity to pursue high-impact research strategies while working with the most innovative private actors. The aim is to raise general awareness of the use of AI and HPC in companies’ R&D activities and to support a sustainable evolution towards a relevant and well-developed ecosystem.
The development of disruptive innovations along with the broader adoption of digital technologies and the fostering of a collaborative ecosystem, supporting technology and knowledge transfer among private and public actors, are key priorities of the government’s strategy to accelerate digital sovereignty. AI and HPC are the technological backbone of the national ambitions.
This joint call for projects will be accompanied by a dedicated portfolio of aid schemes offered by the Ministry of the Economy, which takes into account the varying levels of AI and HPC expertise among private actors.
Objectives
The AI-HPC Joint Call aims to:
- Foster innovation and sustainable value creation by stimulating strong partnerships between public research institutions and the industry in the field of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.
- Strengthen the company’s expertise in:
- AI models, enabling their fine-tuning and deployment for relevant use cases.
- HPC applications, enhancing capabilities in complex computations such as modeling and simulation, quantum simulation via emulators, data analysis, virtual testing, machine learning, and AI, ultimately leveraging the long-term opportunities these technologies offer.
- Encourage the implementation of innovative projects that contribute to the development of Luxembourg’s economic landscape and are in line with national strategic priorities.
- Enhance the attractiveness of Luxembourg as an innovation hub based on advanced technological research in AI and HPC.
- Fund high-quality, impactful R&D projects that address major challenges, deliver new or improved solutions, and clearly demonstrate the benefits of AI and HPC integration for industry and society.
Call topics
This joint call focuses on R&D initiatives in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and High-Performance Computing (HPC), with particular emphasis on the following application areas:
1) Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Industry and Scientific Innovation aims to improve industrial processes, enable scientific breakthroughs, and create intelligent systems that drive innovation. It includesmachine learning, automation, and intelligent decision-support systems.
2) High-Performance Computing (HPC) for Advanced Simulations and Data Processing targets the use of high-performance computing to conduct large-scale simulations, analyze big data, and enable advanced predictive modeling across fields like engineering and environmental science.
3) Cross-Domain Projects Combining AI and HPC promote integrated solutions that leverage HPC infrastructure to power large-scale AI models, enabling advanced analytics, optimization, and real-time decision-making for complex, data-intensive challenges.
Eligibility criteria and further information about the joint call can be found on research-collaboration.lu.
Webinar 15 May
A information webinar will take place on 15 May 2025, from 11:00 – 12:00 CET. Find out more / register
FUNDING & DURATION
- The FNR will fund the costs of the eligible research organizations in Luxembourg, up to 500.000 € per project covering all project specific costs.The Ministry of the Economy will co-finance costs borne by Luxembourg eligible companies up to 700.000 € per project, using the R&D aid scheme.It is expected that the projects will be considered as industrial research and/or experimental development projects. In this case, the maximum co-financing rates for companies through collaboration are as follows:
Project durations are targeted for a 24 to 36 months period.Upon justification regarding their liquidity needs, the Ministry of the Economy may give a 30% upfront payment to SMEs leading a project selected in this Joint Call. For public research organisations FNR financial regulations apply.
Self-funded international or national partners are permitted to participate in the consortium.
APPLICATION INFORMATION
To facilitate the emergence of projects and to support interested actors in their efforts, Luxinnovation, the national agency for the promotion of innovation, has set up an online platform where companies and public research actors are invited to submit their project outline from 1 May to 18 June 2025 in a first phase.
In a second phase, from 21 July to 17 September, full project proposal (FPP) must then be submitted by each project participant either to the Ministry of the Economy (Myguichet platform) for companies and to FNR (FNR Grant Management system) for accredited research organisations.
