Soofi: Germany to develop sovereign AI language model
With 20 million euros in funding, German research institutions are developing an open large language model – as a European alternative to ChatGPT & Co.
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A consortium of six German research institutions and two startups has launched the Soofi (Sovereign Open-Source Foundation Models) project. The goal is to develop an open AI language model with 100 billion parameters, which will serve as a basis for European companies to develop their own AI applications. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is funding the project with 20 million euros until July 2026.
The background to the project is the growing dependence of German companies on AI models from the USA and China. Currently, there is no European large language model of sufficient size that could serve as a starting point for industry-specific adaptations. The situation is comparable to the development of cloud services, where many European companies have become mere users of foreign core technologies—another sore point in the discussion about digital sovereignty.
Soofi involves the Fraunhofer IAIS, Fraunhofer IIS, DFKI, and the universities of WĂĽrzburg, Hanover, and TU Darmstadt. In addition, the Berlin University of Applied Sciences and the startups Ellamind and Merantix Momentum are participating. The AI Bundesverband is taking over the consortium leadership.
Reasoning models for industrial applications
In addition to the base LLM, a so-called reasoning model is also to be created. These advanced AI systems are intended to think structurally and solve multi-stage problems. Using AI agent technologies, the researchers want to implement the first concrete use cases.
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The model will be trained in Deutsche Telekom's Industrial AI Cloud, with T-Systems providing the sovereign AI computing infrastructure. The finished model is to comply with the requirements of the EU AI Act and, according to the announcement by the KI Bundesverband European values. The funding is provided through the Initiative 8ra, which was established by twelve EU member states.
“Soofi offers us the opportunity to continue our research in LLMs, intensify cooperation within Germany and Europe, and retain highly motivated talent in Germany,” explains Dr. Nicolas Flores-Herr, Team Leader Foundation Models & GenAI Systems at Fraunhofer IAIS. Jörg Bienert from the KI Bundesverband describes Soofi as an important step towards developing an open and powerful AI ecosystem in Europe—alongside initiatives such as the Gigafactory and the EU AI Action Plan.
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