Responsible for the project: Dr. Ing. Adrian Victor VEVERA, Director General/CSI, ICI Bucharest

General objectives of the project:

• Accelerate the adoption of Artificial Intelligence, High-Performance Computing (HPC) and cybersecurity by SMEs and public sector organisations through accessible and safe testing environments, sandbox pilots and technical assessments.
• Increase readiness for generative AI and other emerging technologies by embedding them in training, advisory and demonstration services for both private and public stakeholders.
• Facilitate hands-on experimentation with European and local AI innovations, including open-source models such as Mistral, BLOOM and OpenLLM-Ro, as well as other advanced digital technologies relevant to the target sectors.
• Increase awareness, access and effective use of European AI infrastructures, including AI-on-Demand and EuroHPC-backed AI Factories, through targeted upskilling, matchmaking and technology demonstrations.

Project description:

Project No 101256917 is funded under the Digital Europe Programme through call DIGITAL-2025-EDIH-EU-EEA-08 and runs for 36 months, from 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2029. The consortium is coordinated by ICEBERG PLUS SRL and brings together 15 organisations from Romania and Spain, including universities, research institutes, technology providers, SME support organisations, public authorities and innovation ecosystem actors.

FIT EDIH 2.0 builds on and expands the activities of FIT EDIH 1.0, with a reinforced focus on Artificial Intelligence and a more personalised digital transformation journey for each beneficiary. The project serves SMEs and public sector organisations across the six counties of Romania’s Centru Region - Alba, Brașov, Covasna, Harghita, Mureș and Sibiu - and extends its services to Bucharest-Ilfov for high-level public sector organisations. Activities are organised around five main areas: project management and communication, Test Before Invest, access to finance, digital skills and knowledge, and innovation ecosystem building.

ICI Bucharest plays an important role in strengthening the project’s technical and AI dimension. The institute contributes HPC and AI infrastructure for sandbox pilots and has a central role in the operation of the AI Help Desk. ICI provides technical expertise on AI tools and deployment scenarios, supports the interpretation of EU AI Act requirements and national policy guidance, contributes to AI risk and safeguard assessments - particularly for sensitive sectors such as healthcare and public administration - and facilitates access to AI-on-Demand and other European infrastructures. ICI experts also contribute to training the AI Help Desk team and to technical training and implementation activities across the project.

Results:

• Support more than 100 beneficiaries, primarily SMEs and public sector organisations, in improving digital maturity, deploying AI-enabled solutions and accessing follow-on investment.
• Guide at least 140 organisations through Digital Maturity Assessments and personalised digital transformation pathways, with an expected average improvement of approximately 20% in digital maturity scores at reassessment.
• Deploy and document at least 10 AI-enabled solutions in areas such as manufacturing, health, tourism and smart cities, supported by a public portfolio of Test Before Invest case studies.
• Train and certify more than 500 participants through modular AI and digital skills pathways, including more than 20 multipliers/trainers through the Mini AI Academy and Train-the-Trainer activities.
• Mobilise at least EUR 4.7 million in follow-on grants, equity or blended finance for beneficiaries’ digital transformation projects.
• Deliver at least 20 cross-regional or cross-border cooperation actions and develop the Centru Innovation Valley initiative as a long-term regional innovation and collaboration platform.
• Strengthen beneficiary access to European AI and HPC infrastructures and develop an AI Help Desk providing practical support for responsible AI adoption, risk assessment and alignment with the European regulatory framework.