The EuroHPC JU, in collaboration with its Participating States, will acquire compute access time from selected AI Gigafactories, marking a significant investment in Europe’s AI landscape. This initiative aims to enhance Europe’s technological leadership, resilience, and autonomy with state-of-the-art AI computing infrastructure. AI Gigafactories, alongside AI Factories, will provide AI computing and services to public and private users in the EuroHPC Participating States, expanding compute capacity through large-scale AI infrastructure, thus boosting innovation, competitiveness, and technological independence.
AI Gigafactories are sophisticated industrial AI facilities located in EU countries, blending substantial computing power with advanced AI processors, essential software, cloud technology stacks, high bandwidth connectivity, and energy-efficient data centers. Industry-led, these gigafactories will broaden Europe’s AI ecosystem by increasing computing capacity and fostering a service-oriented model that facilitates large-scale AI training, fine-tuning, and inference services, making AI more accessible and affordable for both public and private sectors.
Applications are open to Consortia or Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) comprising companies, public entities, investors, and other partners. AIGFs may be established in a single Member State, either on one site or multiple locations, including cross-border developments. Proposals submitted by 12 November 2026, will be competitively evaluated to select successful projects. Applications can be made via the EU Tenders & Funding Portal.
The funding strategy supports the initial deployment and future expansion of the AIGF infrastructure. The joint public funding from the Union and Member States will serve as an anchor, significantly reducing the risks associated with large capital investments and unlocking over €20 billion in private investment across the EU. Selected AIGFs, expected to be operational within 18 months of their 2027 selection, will be located in at least seven Member States, with potential cross-border collaborations.
Successful projects will receive varying levels of EU and national co-funding, aligned with the size and range of services deployed. Some public financing will be under the current MFF, while most will come from the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2035). Further information can be found in the tender documents.
The AI Gigafactories initiative is a part of Europe’s strategy to increase its AI computing capacity, complementing the AI Factories initiative. AI Gigafactories will provide a comprehensive AI computing environment, complete with AI-optimized supercomputers, advanced data centers, high-capacity storage, ultra-fast networks, secure cloud access, and specialized AI support services. They will support the development and training of advanced AI models, aiding researchers, public-sector organizations, and businesses across Europe, with an emphasis on start-ups, scale-ups, and SMEs.
The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking is a partnership between the European Union and participating countries, pooling resources to make Europe a leader in supercomputing. It has already deployed 12 top-tier supercomputers across Europe, including JUPITER in Germany and Alice Recoque in France. Researchers, industry, and public-sector users can access these systems through EuroHPC Access Calls. The EuroHPC JU is also implementing 19 AI factories and 13 AI Factory Antennas throughout Europe to provide free, tailored support to SMEs and startups.
Moreover, the EuroHPC JU is advancing Europe’s quantum computing infrastructure by integrating European quantum technologies with its supercomputers, and investing in research and innovation across the supercomputing value chain. Following the adoption of Council Regulation (EU) 2026/150, the EuroHPC JU’s mandate now includes the deployment of AI Gigafactories and the advancement of quantum technologies across Europe.
Additional information and links related to the initiative can be found through the provided resources.
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