At a glance: The EU is supporting four smaller and three larger AI data centers with up to €1 billion and €2 billion in public funding respectively from a planned €30 billion total volume.
The European Commission has launched the formal procedure for financing seven data centers intended to train European AI models. The aim is to reduce Europe’s dependence on US computing resources through a public-private model.
The European Commission launched the formal procurement procedure on Thursday for seven consortia to establish specialized AI data centers. The initiative realizes a commitment made by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last year to make Europe more capable in AI infrastructure.
The planned centers are divided into two categories: four smaller facilities with 25,000 to 75,000 specialized AI chips each, and three larger ones with 40,000 to 100,000 chips each. The Commission will allocate up to €1 billion for smaller projects and up to €2 billion for larger ones. Total investment could reach €30 billion when private funds are included — public funding may account for a maximum of 35 percent. So far, the Commission has allocated €1 billion, with a further €4 billion planned in the next EU budget framework, though their availability is still uncertain.
Winning consortia will have 18 months for construction. Germany, Greece, Portugal, Italy and Spain are backing projects for larger centers, while Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France and Poland are competing for smaller ones. Each consortium requires support from at least one government.
Critics question whether the planned computing capacity will find sufficient demand and whether the initiative merely entrenches dependence on US chip manufacturers such as Nvidia. A Commission official, however, emphasized that current infrastructure is already “overloaded”. At the same time, he acknowledged that US providers are “omnipresent,” though other suppliers could help with upgrades. The Commission is calling on bidders to demonstrate how they will operate the facilities in a “sustainable and energy-efficient” manner.
Source: www.politico.eu · Published 30 July 2026
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