Dutch government commits 70 million euros for AI plant
AMSTERDAM: The Dutch government on Friday pledged 70 million euros (US$82 million) for the construction of an artificial intelligence plant in the northern city of Groningen.
The plant, which will be managed by a consortium of Dutch organisations, is intended to become a research hub for the development of AI technologies in applications ranging from agriculture and healthcare, to energy and defence.
The government has also applied for European Union co-financing worth another 70 million euros for the plant, it said in a statement, potentially adding to the 60 million that the Groningen regional administration also plans to contribute.
"Those who do not develop the technology themselves are dependent on others. That is why we are fully committed to a strong, Dutch AI infrastructure", Minister of Economic Affairs Vincent Karremans said on the government's website.
Europe is looking to develop its own AI infrastructure, fearing too much reliance on companies from an increasingly isolationist United States is a threat to Europe's economy and security.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
28 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Airlines suspend Middle East flights
LONDON: Many airline services remain disrupted in the Middle East arising from the 12-day air war between Iran and Israel that ended with a US-brokered ceasefire that took hold on Tuesday. Air space closures and safety concerns continue to weigh on airline traffic in the region. Below are some of the airlines that have cancelled their flights to and from the region: AEGEAN AIRLINES The Greek airline will proceed with flight cancellations from and to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, and Erbil up to and including the early morning flight on Sept 8. AIRBALTIC Latvia's airBaltic said that all flights to and from Tel Aviv until Sept 30 had been cancelled. AIR CANADA The Canadian carrier is suspending its flights from Toronto to Dubai until Aug 4. It had previously postponed resumption of service between Canada and Israel to Sept 8. AIR EUROPA The Spanish airline said that it has cancelled its flights to and from Tel Aviv until July 31. AIR FRANCE-KLM The French flag carrier plans to resume its connections between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Tel Aviv, starting from July 7. It plans to resume its flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Beirut starting on June 28. KLM said that it had cancelled all its flights to and from Tel Aviv until at least July 31. AIR INDIA The Indian airline will "progressively" resume flights to the Middle East starting June 24 and will resume flights to and from the east coast of the US and Canada "at the earliest opportunity," it said. Flights to and from Europe will also be reinstated from June 24. ARKIA The Israeli airline said all its flights to and from Israel are cancelled until June 30, except to New York. Flights to Eilat are cancelled until June 28. DELTA AIR LINES The US carrier said that travel to, from, or through Tel Aviv may be impacted between June 12 and August 31. EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES As of June 24, the Israeli airline began increasing flights and adding frequencies from key destinations. Starting next week, it added, flights will operate as scheduled, except for a few cancelled flights. ETIHAD AIRWAYS Etihad said that it had cancelled flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv until July 15. EMIRATES Emirates said that it had temporarily suspended flights to and from Iran and Iraq until and including June 30. FINNAIR The Finnish airline cancelled its flights to and from Doha through June 30, as well as flight AY1982 on July 1. Finnair added that it was not flying through the airspace of Iraq, Iran, Syria, or Israel. FLYDUBAI The UAE airline said it was planning to resume its full schedule across the network from July 1. It will resume operations to Damascus and Tel Aviv on June 26. IAG IAG-owned British Airways said that its flights to Tel Aviv remain suspended until July 31 and flights to Amman and Bahrain are suspended up to and including June 30. The airline also suspended flights to and from Doha up to and including June 25. IAG's low-cost airline, Iberia Express, had previously said that it had cancelled its flights to Tel Aviv until June 30. Iberia will resume its flights to Doha on June 27. ITA AIRWAYS The Italian Airline said that it would extend the suspension of Tel Aviv flights until July 31, including two flights scheduled on Aug 1. JAPAN AIRLINES The Japanese carrier cancelled its flights to Doha until July 2. LUFTHANSA GROUP Lufthansa said that it had suspended all flights to and from Beirut until and including June 30 and to and from Tel Aviv and Tehran until and including July 31. Flights to and from Amman and Erbil are cancelled until and including July 11. The German airline added that it would also refrain from using airspace of the countries concerned until further notice. PEGASUS The Turkish airline said that it had cancelled flights to Iran until July 7 and flights to Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan until July 4. QATAR AIRWAYS Qatar Airways said that it had temporarily cancelled flights to and from Iraq, Iran and Syria. RYANAIR Ryanair said that it had cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv and to and from Amman until Oct 25. TAROM Romania's flag carrier said that flights to Tel Aviv will resume starting on June 26 and added that flights to Beirut will restart on the night of June 27-28. TUS AIRWAYS The Cypriot airline said it has resumed operations to and from Israel. UNITED AIRLINES The US carrier said that travel to and from Tel Aviv may be affected between June 13 and Aug 1. Flights to Dubai between June 18 and July 3 may also be affected. WIZZ AIR Wizz Air said it had suspended its operations to and from Tel Aviv and Amman until September 15 and was cancelling flights to and from the United Arab Emirates until June 30. The Hungarian airline will also avoid overflying Israeli, Iraqi, Iranian and Syrian airspace until further notice. - REUTERS
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Anwar, Prabowo agree to boost strategic cooperation in Ambalat
JAKARTA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto have pledged to strengthen strategic cooperation, particularly in the Ambalat maritime border area. The leaders emphasised peaceful collaboration to benefit both nations economically and diplomatically. During a joint press conference at Istana Merdeka, Anwar highlighted the need to expedite economic cooperation in contested regions rather than waiting for prolonged legal resolutions. 'If we wait to finish negotiations, it might take another two decades. Let's use this time to achieve results that benefit both countries,' he said. Prabowo echoed this sentiment, proposing a joint-development mechanism for Ambalat while awaiting a legal settlement. 'We agreed to find a mutually beneficial solution, starting economic cooperation now,' he stated. Beyond maritime issues, both leaders agreed to enhance collaboration in research, education, culture, trade, and investment. They also addressed global economic uncertainties, including US-imposed tariffs. The 13th Malaysia-Indonesia Annual Consultations will convene next month to further solidify bilateral ties. On regional stability, Anwar noted Malaysia's commitment to resolving the Myanmar conflict peacefully, with Indonesia's support. Concerns over Thailand-Cambodia border tensions were also discussed. Anwar's delegation included key ministers, underscoring the visit's significance. The Prime Minister departed from Halim Perdanakusuma Airport back to Kuala Lumpur after the meeting.
BusinessToday
2 hours ago
- BusinessToday
Ringgit Could Bounce Back Next Week
The Malaysian Ringgit experienced a volatile week, initially weakening to nearly 4.30 per US Dollar following US strikes on Iran over the weekend, before recovering much of its ground as geopolitical tensions eased. The currency is now expected to trade within a range of 4.22-4.26/USD in the week ahead, with market attention shifting firmly back to US macroeconomic indicators. While the Ringgit had been trading broadly stable in line with expectations, Monday saw markets unsettled by the geopolitical developments, pushing the currency close to the 4.30/USD mark. However, this initial risk-off sentiment dissipated swiftly. The US Dollar Index (DXY) traded on a softer footing this week, ranging between 97.7 and 98.4, even amidst the initial geopolitical stir. Notably, investors turned towards Euro-denominated assets rather than the greenback, as the spike in oil prices proved short-lived. Risk appetite recovered significantly after President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, helping to reverse much of the Ringgit's earlier weakness. A subsequent pullback in both oil prices and the DXY further reinforced this recovery, driven by increasingly dovish signals from the Federal Reserve. Markets are now closely monitoring upcoming US economic data. The US core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) reading, due tomorrow, is a key focus, with consensus expecting a 0.1% month-on-month increase. Attention will then shift to next week's crucial labor market data, where Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) are anticipated to ease towards the 100.0k mark and the unemployment rate could potentially rise to 4.3%. June's manufacturing data will also be scrutinized for early signs of any tariff-related strain on the economy. With geopolitical risks largely unwound, the focus is squarely returning to US macro data. Softer employment figures could reinforce expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut as early as September, aligning with analysts' base case. Fiscal developments in the US may also take center stage, particularly President Trump's proposed 'big, beautiful bill,' which is expected to get a Senate vote by July 4th. Technically, Kenanga Research said the USDMYR pair remains anchored around its 5-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at 4.24. Its direction in the coming week will largely hinge on incoming US macroeconomic data, with key support identified at 4.20 and resistance at 4.27. Related
