Artificial intelligence Testing and Experimentation Facility in Latvia
Digital Accelerator of Latvia (DAoL) is one of the two pre-selected European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) candidates in Latvia. During 2021 DAoL experts produced a study analyzing the possibilities of establishing the Artificial intelligence (AI) Testing and Experimentation Facility (TEF) in Latvia. The strategic planning was carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of the Republic of Latvia.
AI TEFs will be a specialized large-scale infrastructure and virtual sites open to technology providers across Europe to test and experiment state-of-the art AI-based soft-and hardware solutions and products, in real-world environments, and at scale. This effort is an important step to bring technology to market and improve a higher uptake of AI in Europe.
Under the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL), the European Commission expects to open calls for proposals to fund AI TEFs in February 2022. These TEFs will be in the sectors of agri-food (€30 million), healthcare (€30 million), manufacturing (€30 million) as well as smart cities and communities (€20). These calls will be co-funded equally at EU and Member States level.
It is planned that TEF located in Latvia will specialize in AI for smart cities and communities, in particular in future mobility.