France has announced its intention to host a European AI gigafactory following a new call for projects launched by the European Commission to bolster the continent’s artificial intelligence computing capacities.
The initiative, led by the EuroHPC joint undertaking, aims to strengthen the European AI value chain by developing high-performance, secure, and decarbonised computing infrastructures. To support this ambition, the French government has committed to purchasing €100 million worth of computing capacity from the selected project if it is established on French soil.
This commitment, scheduled to take place by 2027, involves procuring services from private operators and is separate from existing state investments in public computing infrastructure. The funding is intended to de-risk capital investments and attract private sector participation, thereby accelerating the rollout of AI as outlined in the national Our AI plan.
The proposed infrastructure is expected to serve a range of essential sectors, including public administration, research, and hospitals. The French government aims to provide massive computing power for its public sector workforce to enhance efficiency in data processing and information retrieval.
Selection criteria for the project will focus heavily on data security, the diversification of suppliers, and the degree of European added value. The initiative is designed to complement existing public supercomputing resources, such as the Jean Zay supercomputer and the AI Factories programme managed by the Grand Équipement National de Calcul Intensif (GENCI).
In the coming weeks, France intends to explore partnerships with other European nations to mobilise further investment. The goal is to build a sovereign European AI value chain that prioritises data security, interoperability, and environmental excellence in the development of specialised data centres.
