Seventy-six companies have submitted proposals to establish artificial intelligence gigafactories in Europe, according to the EU’s technology chief. This response, which exceeded expectations, reflects the bloc’s efforts to catch up with the U.S. and China in this crucial field. The European Commission had allocated 20 billion euros ($23 billion) in funding for the development of four AI gigafactories across the EU. These facilities will serve as large-scale AI computing and data storage centers, each equipped with approximately 100,000 cutting-edge AI chips. The companies involved, which include both EU and non-EU entities such as tech giants, data center operators, telecoms providers, and financial investors, have expressed plans to acquire a total of at least 3 million of the latest generation AI processors (GPUs). The EU tech chief, Henna Virkkunen, highlighted the significant interest and momentum in AI innovation in Europe, while emphasizing the confidentiality of the companies’ names due to business reasons. The Commission is expected to launch an official call for proposals to establish the AI gigafactories by the end of the year.
