Stefanos Kollias: “Faros” sheds... light on the first national super-computer

What is the “Faros” project and how is it connected to “Daedalus”, the first national super-computer, which is coming to introduce Greece into the era of applied Artificial Intelligence?

The answer is given by Stefanos Kollias, Head of the National Network of Technology and Research Infrastructures, and Emeritus Professor of Information Technology and Computers at the Technical University of Athens, in the context of the Athens Democracy Forum 2025 (September 30 -October 3, 2025) which is held under the auspices of H.E. the President of the Republic, Mr. Konstantinos A. Tasoulas, and is organized by the Democracy & Culture Foundation in collaboration with The New York Times.

The “Faros” project, as the distinguished researcher explained, comes to help technological progress in key areas, such as healthcare, culture and language, as well as environmental sustainability. It is a gathering of research institutions and academic research, which is part of Greece’s broader strategy for AI. It is funded by both the domestic government and European funds, which have as their ultimate goal the creation of AI “factories” across the continent.

In our country, this “factory” concerns the supercomputer “Daedalus”, which began to be installed in the Lavrio region last April. As Mr. Kollias explained, the aim is to start operating in April 2026, that is, in less than a year, after the installation of the machines and the renovation of the building infrastructure are completed.

Mr. Kollias did not fail to reiterate that the goal of the project, which requires the connection of AI with the talent of the human factor, is the application of Artificial Intelligence to topics that concern the citizen himself. As an example, he cited the IDIKA, which has managed to bring into a single file many different data related to medical care.

Another field of action concerns culture and the preservation of the sustainability of the Greek language, while he also attached particular importance to the environmental factor, namely the prediction of climate change and energy saving.

The AI ​​"factory", the professor reiterated, requires a combination of data, infrastructure and human capital, estimating that in less than a year he will be able to present the first example of the operation of the new system for the benefit of society and citizens.