EU launches bid to fund up to seven AI gigafactories for sovereign training capacity
Brussels has opened a call for tenders to publicly finance up to seven AI gigafactories across Europe to train next‑generation models and reduce dependence on foreign cloud and chip suppliers. The plan envisages a phased rollout with roughly one‑third public funding and two‑thirds from private sources, amounting to an eventual ~€30 billion in total investment (about €5b EU, ~€5b from member states, ~€20b private), though current EU budgets can only commit about €1b and the rest would come from the next Multiannual Financial Framework. Ten countries are eyeing hosting sites, with Germany, Italy, France among them, and Paris signaling a solo bid. The project faces criticism over delays and potential lock‑in, but the Commission has signed memoranda with Nvidia, AMD and Qualcomm to supply chips. Construction would start in 2027 and aim to be operational by mid‑2028, with compute access linked to public projects and labs to maintain commercial viability."