EU Launches Call for Tenders for Seven Gigafactories to Boost Computing Capacity

The European Union (EU) has published a call for the construction of up to seven large-scale data centres. The aim of this call is to significantly increase Europe's computing capacity for artificial intelligence (AI). This initiative strengthens Europe’s technological sovereignty and aims to establish Europe as the “AI continent”. The High-Tech Agenda Germany (HTAD) aims to attract at least one of these European 'AI gigafactories' to Germany. This is also anchored in the ‘EU AI gigafactory commissioned’ milestone from the Roadmap for Artificial Intelligence (German only).

The EU and participating Member States are investing €10 billion, with a further €20 billion to be mobilised from private investors across the EU. The initiative will ultimately give start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises, industry, academia, and public authorities access to infrastructure for training and working with state-of-the-art, competitive AI models. This initiative ensures that Europe can develop advanced AI in line with EU regulations and values using its own infrastructure. The technologies developed in the AI gigafactories will comply with EU standards on data protection, security, safety, and ethics.

AI gigafactories may be established in a single Member State, at one or more sites. Cross-border development projects utilising distributed AI computing facilities spanning several Member States are also possible. Eighteen Member States, including Germany, are participating in the joint procurement procedure. Consortia can submit applications until 12 November 2026. A decision is expected in early 2027, allowing construction to begin the following year. The gigafactories are expected to commence operations within 18 months of the decision being made and all necessary contracts being signed. The HTAD-Roadmap on AI accordingly sets this milestone for 2028.

Further information:

See Cloud and AI Development Act and the tender documents.