Research shows LUMI AI Factory drives AI Innovation for start-ups and SMEs

The latest market survey confirms the LUMI AI Factory’s significant value, particularly for startups and SMEs, as a strategic enabler in Europe’s AI landscape.

The Customer Needs and HPC/AI Maturity Survey was conducted by the LUMI AI Factory in 2025, with the distribution period lasting from mid-June to mid-August 2025. The survey was distributed across the LUMI AI Factory consortium countries, which include Finland, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Poland, and the Czech Republic. In total, the survey garnered 40 respondents, representing a mix of organisation types. The participating commercial entities comprised start-ups (30.8%), SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, 30.8%), large enterprises (15.4%), alongside higher education institutions (15.4%), and research institutes (7.7%).

This comprehensive marketing analysis reveals a significant infrastructure gap within our network. While a vast majority (92.3%) of companies actively use AI/ML technologies, only 53.8% have adopted high-performance computing (HPC), with an additional 28.2% planning to do so in the near future. LUMI AI Factory is well-positioned to bridge this gap by offering scalable HPC solutions tailored to this growing market demand.

‘In the past year alone, there’s been a surge of new initiatives and operators in Finland’s AI field, which is positive because there’s now a much louder voice highlighting AI’s potential for companies. However, this awareness does not yet extend to HPC. We first need to build a broader understanding of AI itself, but also the role of the data economy — how critical data is for AI development and deployment — which remains poorly understood.‘

Solja Sulkunen, Finnish AI Region EDIH, Finland

Our survey indicates that 85% of organisations focus primarily on training AI models, with 79.5% emphasising the importance of GPU computing resources. This demand is particularly strong among SMEs and startups seeking HPC support for scaling their AI efforts. While large enterprises are generally familiar with HPC and often have their own clusters, many SMEs are still in the early stages of understanding how HPC can enhance their AI capabilities.

‘Large enterprises are generally well aware of HPC — many have their own clusters, and we collaborate with some of them. They are obviously familiar with AI too. But among SMEs, only a minority really know what HPC is or how it could help them. They are much more interested in AI and what it can do for their business, but they don’t always understand the link between AI and HPC. A big part of our project’s work is to introduce them to HPC through their existing interest in AI.‘

Dennis Wollbrink, Danish e-Infrastructure Consortium, Denmark

Budget and accessibility remain key barriers: 65% of respondents cite limited budgets as the main obstacle to AI/HPC adoption, with over half seeking financial assistance or improved access to HPC infrastructure. LUMI AI Factory addresses these challenges by providing strategic support and facilitating access to funding opportunities, including cascade funding programmes for SMEs.

‘With a proof of concept, you have a limited amount of resources and time to work with. After that stage, if there’s continued need, we encourage companies to move to the commercial side or help them secure additional funding — for example, through projects like Fortissimo, which provides cascade funding for SMEs to run experiments on supercomputers.‘

Marta Maj, Cyfronet, Poland

Operational skill gaps are evident, with over half of companies identifying a shortage in HPC expertise. LUMI AI Factory offers expert technical consulting and training programs designed to make HPC more accessible and AI technologies easier to understand.

‘Complexity is another barrier, often linked to a lack of skills. HPC and AI can seem very complex if users aren’t trained, but with proper training, it becomes much more accessible. That’s why we offer training not only for researchers but also for industry clients.‘

Filip Stanek, IT4Innovations, Czechia

Efficiency gains are a strong motivator for adoption, with 72.5% of respondents aiming to boost their performance through AI/HPC. LUMI AI Factory stands as a strategic partner, helping businesses scale their AI initiatives, enhance performance, and mitigate risks.

‘According to data for 2024, at least half of Polish start-ups use artificial intelligence. However, for about 13% of start-ups, AI is a key element of their business model. But when it comes to mid-sized companies, they are often less mature — many are still before the digital transition and rely on traditional tools. So startups are mature and highly involved with advanced technology, often collaborating with other startups and institutions abroad. But there’s

a clear gap between startups and midcaps or SMEs.‘

Patrycja Dąbrowska-Wierzbicka, Cyfronet, Poland

Data security is another critical concern, with 62.5% highlighting the need for sensitive data protection. To address this, LUMI AI Factory incorporates a Confidential Computing Environment to enable secure data processing compliant with GDPR and AI regulations.

‘There are certain issues with public organisations, especially those funded entirely by the government and managing citizens’ data. Often, they can’t send those data sets outside their premises, so our main activity is focused on serving scientific communities, to whom we provide resources for free. The biggest obstacle is that public administrations cannot transfer its data to our supercomputing

resources — they are obliged by law handle it on-site. Despite this, they quite often come to us, and as result we cooperate on developing service or services of their interest.‘

Mariusz Sterzel, Cyfronet, Poland

We invite businesses, especially SMEs and startups, to leverage our expertise and infrastructure to accelerate their AI projects. Discover our services as well as our available training sessions and pick the best start for your LUMI AI Factory journey today.