The European Commission has launched a bidding process for up to seven artificial intelligence gigafactories across the continent. This initiative aims to significantly expand Europe’s computing capacity for training and running large models. The project expects public funding of up to 10 billion euros to attract at least 20 billion euros in private capital. Eighteen member states, including Germany and France, are participating in the scheme. Letters of intent have already been signed with hardware suppliers AMD, Nvidia, and Qualcomm. Applications close on 12 November 2026, with construction scheduled to begin in 2027. The effort forms part of the EU’s AI Continent strategy.
The scale of this investment highlights a stark disparity in global computing strategy. Major US technology companies plan to spend over 600 billion dollars on data centres this year alone. Europe’s total package of roughly 30 billion euros is approximately 20 times smaller than that figure. If global demand for AI computing grows as projected, the European contribution remains a fraction of the total required. The focus on national sovereignty does not match the sheer volume of capital flowing into the United States sector.
- Applications for the gigafactories close on 12 November 2026
- Construction is set to start in 2027
- At least 20 billion euros in private investment is expected
