CSC contributes to the development of European AI expertise in newly launched ELLIOT project

The project brings together a broad group of research and industry partners to develop next-generation AI solutions that operate reliably in complex and dynamic data environments. Examples of CSC contributions to the project include supporting the pretraining of large-scale foundation models using the LUMI supercomputer, participating in improving the core capabilities of the resulting models, and model fine-tuning. These activities facilitate the development of responsible AI in Europe.

Launched in July 2025, the new EU research and innovation project ELLIOT (European Large Open Multi-Modal Foundation Models for Robust Generalization on Arbitrary Data Streams) brings together 30 research and industry partners from across Europe. The project aims to develop the next generation of open, trustworthy, and multi-modal foundation models that can effectively utilize diverse data types. 

The goal is to create AI models that accelerate innovation in key sectors such as media, Earth observation, autonomous systems, and public services while also supporting Europe’s technological sovereignty and global competitiveness.

Towards an open and sustainable AI infrastructure

The core aim of ELLIOT is to develop multi-modal foundation models capable of processing and integrating diverse data types – such as text, images, video, sensor data, and satellite imagery – and applying that knowledge across a wide range of use cases. These generalist models will be built on open-source principles, ensuring they are freely accessible and adaptable for researchers and developers.

Unlike many earlier AI models designed for narrow applications, ELLIOT seeks to create more general-purpose and flexible AI systems that perform reliably even in noisy, real-world data environments.

This approach supports Europe’s strategic goal of technological independence, while ensuring that AI development remains open, ethical, and socially beneficial. It also provides a strong, transparent, and scalable foundation for European researchers and companies to build upon.

CSC supports foundation model pretraining and fine-tuning using the LUMI supercomputer

ELLIOT leverages Europe’s supercomputing infrastructure, including the LUMI supercomputer operated by CSC. CSC contributes to the project by supporting foundation model pretraining on LUMI, exploring methodologies through which fundamental model capabilities (such as basic reasoning and generalization) can be improved, and participating in work aimed at reducing the size of the models for different downstream applications. CSC promotes open science practices, and supports the reproducibility and transparency of the models developed within the project.

“ELLIOT is not just a technical project – it is also a strategic investment in the future of European AI research. The project supports the training of early-career researchers and provides open resources for the broader research community. CSC’s involvement strengthens Finland’s role in European AI development and supports national goals for promoting responsible and open AI.” says Jesse Harrison, development manager and ELLIOT project lead at CSC.

This article was first published on 21 July by CSC