Launch of New ELLIS Institute Finland Marks Another Milestone in Driving European AI Leadership Forward
The European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS) is going to launch its second institute, ELLIS Institute Finland, marking a major step in its mission to strengthen Europe’s AI landscape through connecting excellent researchers, attracting talent, and enabling strategic collaborations.
Supported by major public and private funding from the Finnish government and industry leaders, this new institute aims to drive breakthroughs in AI and machine learning, tapping into Finland’s advanced AI ecosystem and home to Europe’s most powerful supercomputer, LUMI.
The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture has pledged substantial financial support: 10 Million Euros annually from 2025 to 2028, alongside a 6-Million Euro startup fund. An additional 10 Million Euros toward ELLIS professorships will be contributed by the foundation of Peter Sarlin, the CEO and co-founder of Silo AI. Together, these investments will enhance ELLIS Institute Finland’s capacity to foster AI research of global impact and create an ecosystem rich in talent and collaborative opportunity.
Building on a strong legacy of pioneering machine learning work at the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence (FCAI), ELLIS Institute Finland represents a major expansion of the ELLIS network in Northern Europe. FCAI, which currently hosts ELLIS Unit Helsinki, will serve as the foundation for the new institute. Aalto University professor Samuel Kaski is the director of FCAI and ELLIS Unit Helsinki.
“The European AI community has been arguing that our governments ought to face the international competition in AI and the implied challenges for our societies. Building on a broad effort of public and private funding, Finland’s announcement to found an ELLIS institute is forward-looking and sends a strong signal that this message is being taken seriously” says ELLIS President Bernhard Schölkopf.
Coordinated by Aalto University, the institute brings together Finnish universities as equal partners, advancing research objectives but also shaping a sustainable AI ecosystem that prioritises Europe’s values and technological resilience. This development reflects ELLIS’s commitment to fostering a collaborative, value-driven AI landscape across Europe.
--> Read original press release by FCAI.
--> Learn more about the first ELLIS Institute, founded in 2023 in Tübingen, Germany.
