It was announced today that  CeADAR, Ireland’s applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) centre, has received €247,000 in funding from Enterprise Ireland’s Capital Funding Programme for a new super computer to help Irish companies engage in big-data and AI projects.
 
This computing platform which will be called LEON and is intended to provide industry in Ireland with access to critical, leading-edge infrastructure which, coupled with CeADAR’s expertise in analytics and AI, will help business exploit the latest advances in AI techniques and platforms.
 
CeADAR, which is Ireland’s National Centre for Applied Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, is an Enterprise Ireland and IDA-funded technology centre.
 
Companies in Ireland, with CeADAR’s expertise, can now develop and trial new and innovative big data solutions, upskill their workforce, and grow expertise in data science and machine learning. The resource will also be available to start-ups and will foster the creation of new spin-out companies.

CeADAR say the new platform will meet the increasing demands of industry in terms of processing, modelling and storage of large datasets. As CeADAR’s mission is to help companies embrace and innovate using AI, the new high-performance computer will complement the centre’s expertise in advanced machine learning.

CeADAR is to receive the funding after it was one of the successful applicants of the Capital Equipment Fund, administered by Enterprise Ireland through the Technology Gateway and Technology Centre Programmes.
 
Commenting on the funding, CeADAR Director Edward McDonnell said, "This new high-performance computer will find application across every industry sector and will be used by the widest possible number of companies. The computing platform should be seen as an enabling technology in conjunction with the expertise in the Centre in applying cutting-edge AI and analytics methodologies to solve real-world challenges and develop new businesses."

Source: www.businessworld.ie