EU Seeks Sites for Up to Five AI Gigafactories to Enhance Technological Sovereignty
The EU is seeking locations for up to five AI supercomputing centers as part of a €20 billion initiative to enhance technological sovereignty and compete with the US and China. Member states and industrial consortia are invited to submit bids, with each facility expected to house over 100,000 AI accelerators in energy-efficient data centers. The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking plans to announce selected sites by 2026, aiming for the first gigafactories to be operational by late 2026 or early 2027.
Theia Market Signal Identification - AI Assisted
The EU is looking for locations for up to five AI supercomputing centers as part of a €20 billion project aimed at enhancing Europe’s technological sovereignty and competing with the US and China. The call for proposals, initiated by EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and the EU Commission, allows member states and industrial consortia to submit bids to host these advanced facilities.
Each gigafactory is expected to integrate over 100,000 modern AI accelerators (GPUs) and operate in highly automated, energy-efficient data centers. The funding model includes contributions from EU programs, host countries, and industry partners, with EU programs covering about 17% of the costs.
The site selection process follows a significant funding agreement made in December 2025. The EuroHPC JU aims to announce selected sites by 2026, with construction likely starting shortly thereafter, and the first gigafactories operational by late 2026 or early 2027.
Comments