The MoU includes advisory and technical support via the InvestEU Advisory Hub to improve bankability, structure projects, and speed up implementation from concept to reality.

Collaboration focuses on advisory services, financing, and startup/scaleup support for AI infrastructure through TechEU and InvestEU.

As part of the package, the InvestEU Advisory Hub will help improve project bankability to attract funding.

The gigafactories are designed to train very large AI models and will require substantial infrastructure, including about 100,000 advanced AI chips per site.

Each gigafactory is planned to host around 100,000 high-performance AI chips, roughly four times larger than existing facilities, enabling front-line research across medicine, climate, space, and industry.

The sites will build on 19 existing European AI factories, supporting large multimodal models and broad applications across sectors like medicine, climate, and space.

The framework will guide consortia responding to the Commission’s informal Call for Expression of Interest, with EIB advisory support to turn proposals into bankable projects for the 2026 AI Gigafactory call and potential co-financing.

The EIB Group will provide tailored advisory support to consortia, helping concepts mature into bankable projects for a formal 2026 call and possible EIB co-financing.

The collaboration aims to ensure reliable, large-scale compute environments for researchers, SMEs, startups, and major industries, accelerating the move from concept to fundable, real-world impact.

EU officials stress that AI infrastructure will spur research and innovation, enabling Europe to train very large AI models and sustain global leadership in AI.

Europe is moving to build up to five AI gigafactories with the European Investment Bank and the European Commission, aimed at boosting computing capacity, reducing dependency on foreign AI tech, and strengthening EU leadership in the field.

The plan builds on a pipeline of about 19 AI factory projects under EuroHPC JU and InvestAI, and ties into the TechEU programme to mobilise roughly €250 billion by 2027 for innovative AI and related technologies.

InvestAI, a €20 billion initiative launched by the Commission in early 2025, will fund up to five gigafactories, with the EIB exploring loan financing to supplement EU grants and stimulate private investment.

The information is presented in THE DECODER’s AI and society coverage, citing official EC and EIB sources and press materials.

Senior EU and EIB officials, including Nadia Calviño and Henna Virkkunen, underscore Europe’s goal to boost research, competitiveness, and technological leadership through enhanced AI infrastructure.