The European Union is investing $56 million in a collaborative project to develop open-source, multilingual large language models (LLMs). The initiative, called OpenEuroLLM, brings together 20 organizations, including universities, private companies, and High Performance Computing (HPC) centers across the EU. Coordinated by Charles University in Prague and Silo AI, with support from AMD, the project aims to boost European AI capabilities and competitiveness while expanding access to advanced AI technologies in the region.
OpenEuroLLM will build upon prior European LLM projects and existing data repositories. The project aligns with Europe’s goals of enhanced competitiveness and digital sovereignty. It fosters open-source development within the EU’s regulatory framework and seeks to create models adaptable to specific industry and public sector needs while preserving linguistic and cultural diversity.
OpenEuroLLM is the first project to receive the seal of excellence from the Digital Europe Program’s STEP platform. STEP leverages large programs to fund strategic technologies that contribute to objectives such as creating essential technologies, safeguarding value chains, or addressing labor and skill shortages in the EU. The European Commission is supporting OpenEuroLLM with a grant of EUR 20.6 million (USD 21.3 million) from the Digital Europe Program.
Boosting European AI competitiveness
As a recognized STEP seal project, OpenEuroLLM will be showcased on the European Commission’s STEP portal, boosting its visibility to potential investors for additional funding. Jan Hajič, project coordinator and professor of computational linguistics at Prague’s Charles University, believes that this initiative puts Europe back in the AI race.
The project aims to build a large language model that European companies and governments can confidently use, knowing that it aligns with EU values and regulations. Open-source models offer advantages in versatility and customization over proprietary counterparts like OpenAI and Anthropic’s AI, which remain closed systems. Peter Sarlin, cofounder of Finnish AI lab Silo, emphasizes the need for open-source models aligned with languages, values, and society at large.
The EU’s investment in OpenEuroLLM is part of a broader effort to boost its tech performance. The EU is increasing its annual research grants budget by a quarter to $1.5 billion and investing an additional $1.5 billion to upgrade its supercomputer network. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also detailed plans to stimulate growth across the 27 member nations.
While some critics recall the failure of a previous $550 million project to build a European search engine, others argue that this presents a unique opportunity for Europe to foster innovation in the AI sector. Despite skepticism, the EU’s commitment marks a renewed effort to secure a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving field of AI and ensure that Europe remains a key player on the global stage.