The Fortissimo projects (Fortissimo 1 and 2, as well as FF4EuroHPC) are among the most recognised co-funded European research and development projects, not only in Europe but also beyond, particularly in North America, where they are known as examples of good practice. The Fortissimo projects have been running for more than a decade, with a total budget exceeding EUR 42 million.
The Fortissimo projects are not focused solely on technological development. They are based on real business challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises from various industrial sectors and on solving these challenges through the use of high-performance computing (HPC). To date, more than 130 development experiments have been successfully carried out, involving 330 partners from 22 European countries.
The latest series of projects, named FFplus, will continue to support and empower companies with development potential, with a total budget of EUR 30 million, of which EUR 24 million is dedicated to new experiments. Over the next three years, three public open calls will be available, addressing the application of HPC for the development of business experiments (Type 1) or the use of generative artificial intelligence for the development of large language models (Type 2).
The amount of funding available per consortium will be up to EUR 200,000 for Type 1 applications and up to EUR 300,000 for Type 2 applications. The implementation of selected projects will begin in early 2025.
Successful experiments have resulted in success stories written by more than 15 Slovenian companies, including AformX, Pipistrel and Magneti Ljubljana. These stories demonstrate the many benefits that high-performance computing can bring to companies, such as shorter research and development cycles, reduced production costs, lower material consumption and less waste, higher ROI and, consequently, entry into new markets or the creation of new, highly qualified jobs.
More information about the project is available on the website, where applications can also be submitted.
