Project GAINS, the deep tech co-innovation center in artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor photonics of Ghent University, the Participation Society Flanders (PMV) and Alides REIM (further ‘Alides’), is a large-scale public-private partnership to accelerate sustainable, deep tech digital innovations._x000D_ The Flemish and European policy choices for a sustainable digital transition and strategic autonomy need AI and semiconductor photonics (integrated photonics, silicon photonics, semiconductor photonics), but Flemish companies that want to deploy them have limited access to the required knowledge, talent and infrastructure for the complex product development that is needed for this. As a result, there is an untapped potential for innovation based on AI and semiconductor photonics, yet two domains where Flanders is taking a strong leading role internationally._x000D_ In GAINS, the unique expertise in semiconductor photonics and AI is brought together for disruptive solutions within three application domains: Health, Industry 5.0 and Energy/Planet. By combining the development in both fields of research, AI and semiconductor photonics, robust ‘digital meters’ will be possible that make things difficult to measure visible. Think of biological parameters, contaminants, harmful emissions, wear and tear, etc. Moreover, both technologies are essential for the data centres of the future where digital communication and related calculations need to be increasingly efficient, faster and cheaper._x000D_ The project encompasses the full range of infrastructure and activities so that SMEs can accelerate the sustainable digital transition through innovations based on AI and semiconductor photonics. GAINS ensures that companies and entrepreneurs can develop an idea into a product with unique test-before-invest infrastructure and this together with a critical mass of AI and photonics experts._x000D_ The GAINS infrastructure is sustainable and includes a new tower building (‘GAINS AI Campus Hub’) with 5000m2 of AI research labs, a fablab for prototyping and a comprehensive and renovated cleanroom (‘GAINS cleanroom’) of 4328 m2. The GAINS cleanroom includes meeting space, a maker lab for light chip technologies and a biolab that researchers and companies can use for prototyping and limited editions of photonics solutions and their validation on biological samples._x000D_ The GAINS project is complemented by private funds so that the GAINS AI Campus Hub also includes 12,500m2 of corporate housing, community spaces and incubator space. For example, we are reaching a total investment of 68M€ for this flagship project at the Tech Lane Ghent Science Park technology campus._x000D_ The project will therefore ensure that more than 250 AI and photonics experts from the academic side will be brought together with at least 300 AI and photonics experts from the industry. Such an epicenter is unprecedented for Europe and puts Flanders on the map worldwide for R&O&I activities in the combined field of AI and photonics._x000D_