Exploring worldwide strategies for accessible and shared computer resources
Europe, US, and Asia Ramp Up Public Compute Initiatives to Boost AI Research
In a concerted effort to maintain global leadership in AI technology development, Europe, the United States, and Asia are investing heavily in public compute initiatives. These strategies aim to provide world-class computing resources to domestic researchers, scale up AI infrastructure, and integrate emerging technologies.
The European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) is a collaborative initiative involving the EU, 32 European countries, and three private partners. Its goal is to develop and maintain a world-class supercomputing ecosystem in Europe. The UK, for instance, has outlined a multi-billion-pound investment strategy to build and scale AI-centric compute infrastructure. This includes the launch of a new national supercomputer at the Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre, scaling up the AI Research Resource (AIRR) with £250 million, and preparing AI Growth Zones including sites in Scotland and Wales.
Similarly, South Korea plans to invest KRW 3 trillion (approximately $2.5 billion) into quantum research by 2035, targeting the development of practical quantum computers and an expanded research base integrating quantum computing and ultra-high-performance computing technologies. Spain is investing hundreds of millions of Euros in a quantum ecosystem as part of its 2025-2030 strategy.
In the United States, the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) pilot program promotes access to world-class private-sector compute, models, and data through partnerships, aiming to create a sustainable national AI compute platform. This includes fostering financial markets for compute resources, improving accessibility for academia and startups, and guiding investments with a new AI R&D strategic plan from OSTP.
These public compute initiatives dramatically scale accessible computing power, removing logistical and financial barriers for researchers and startups, thus accelerating AI innovation and discovery. Enhanced national supercomputing centers and AI Growth Zones cultivate focused hubs of expertise and collaboration. Investments in skills and community support ensure the workforce can effectively utilize advanced infrastructure, boosting technical capacity across sectors. Integration of emerging technologies like quantum and neuromorphic computing promises to push AI capabilities beyond classical limits. International partnerships foster standardization, knowledge exchange, and joint research, amplifying global AI advancements.
However, critics have raised concerns about the scale of public compute investment in the context of a highly-concentrated sector. The methods used for this research include desk research, interviews with policymakers and experts, and expert roundtables with civil society and academic experts. The term 'public compute' refers to policies that use public funds to provide particular groups with access to compute. Common challenges for public compute initiatives include avoiding 'value capture', achieving strategic coherence, balancing flexibility and longevity, and squaring compute investments with environmental goals.
Together, these strategies build robust compute ecosystems that underpin rapid AI research progress, helping countries maintain and extend leadership in AI technology development. Approaches tend to be shaped by existing industrial strengths and weaknesses, national policymaking traditions and international factors such as export controls. Today, supercomputers operated by entities associated with the US government and the EU are among the fastest in the world.
In conclusion, the race to develop advanced AI is driving a surge in public compute initiatives worldwide. These strategies aim to provide world-class computing resources, scale up AI infrastructure, and integrate emerging technologies. While challenges persist, the potential benefits in terms of AI innovation, research progress, and global competitiveness are significant.
- The European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) is spearheading a lifestyle revolution in Europe by developing and maintaining a world-class supercomputing ecosystem, which will ultimately facilitate the integration of emerging technologies such as quantum computing.
- In the United States, the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) pilot program, in addition to promoting access to cutting-edge private-sector technology, aims to create a sustainable technology platform for AI, thereby fostering financial markets for compute resources and benefiting startups and academia alike.
