The European Commission has seen a flood of interest from companies looking to help create AI Gigafactories across Europe.
Brussels has been virtually swamped with proposals for new AI Gigafactories. 76 expressions of interest have been submitted, covering 60 potential sites across 16 EU countries.
The response has clearly energised officials who see it as vindication of their strategy to position Europe as a serious player in the global AI race. These aren’t just token gestures either; the proposals come from serious industry players.
Major European data centre operators, telecom giants, power companies and global tech firms have all expressed interest in staking their claim in what could become Europe’s AI renaissance.
While Commission officials remain tight-lipped about exactly which companies have thrown their hats into the ring – citing commercial confidentiality – the industry grapevine is already buzzing with speculation about potential consortiums forming between Europe’s tech heavyweights.
Collectively, these companies are planning to snap up at least three million GPUs—providing more than enough computing muscle to train AI models that could rival or exceed anything currently available.
AI Gigafactories are more than just computers
So what exactly is an AI Gigafactory? Think of it as the digital equivalent of a gargantuan manufacturing plant, but instead of churning out physical products, these facilities will develop and train the next generation of AI systems.
We’re talking about computing environments of unprecedented scale. These facilities will provide the computational backbone needed for Europe to develop sovereign AI capabilities rather than relying entirely on American or Chinese technology.
The Gigafactories represent an evolution of the EU’s existing AI strategy, building on the foundation laid by Europe’s already impressive EuroHPC supercomputing network. What makes them different is their singular focus on AI and their commercial orientation.
Anyone following tech news knows the stakes here. The race to build advanced AI infrastructure has intensified dramatically over the past 18 months, with American tech giants investing billions in computing centres and custom chips. Meanwhile, China continues its own aggressive push into the sector.
Europe’s response has often been criticised as too slow or bureaucratic, but this initiative suggests Brussels is potentially finding its footing. By coordinating investment across member states and bringing together public and private resources, the Commission is attempting to create an environment where European AI can flourish.
This isn’t just about computing power, it’s about creating complete ecosystems where hardware, software, data, and talent can come together. That’s what makes the concept of AI Gigafactories potentially transformative.
The elephant in the room, of course, is energy. Training modern AI models requires staggering amounts of electricity, and adding millions of power-hungry GPUs to Europe’s computing landscape raises obvious questions about sustainability.
Several proposals are rumoured to include innovative cooling solutions and partnerships with renewable energy providers. One consortium is reportedly exploring a facility in Northern Sweden that would be entirely powered by hydroelectric energy and use the region’s natural cold for cooling.
What happens next?
The Commission will now begin speaking with all respondents to shape the next phase of the initiative. The formal call for establishing these Gigafactories isn’t expected until late 2025, with the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking managing the process.
This timeline might seem frustratingly slow to some industry players, but it reflects the complex reality of coordinating such ambitious projects across multiple countries and regulatory frameworks.
For everyday Europeans, the impact won’t be immediately visible. But if successful, these AI Gigafactories could eventually touch nearly every aspect of life—from healthcare diagnostics to climate modeling, from automated customer service to new entertainment experiences.
The real question is whether Europe can move quickly enough. In AI, being second or third to market isn’t just about pride; it could mean being permanently relegated to relying on foreign technology rather than developing sovereign capabilities.
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