EU launches InvestAI initiative: €200 billion for Europe's AI future

Europe is getting ready for the future of artificial intelligence (AI). Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the InvestAI initiative at the AI Action Summit in Paris today. The aim is to mobilise €200 billion for the development of AI infrastructure and establish Europe as a global AI location.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “AI will improve our healthcare, spur our research and innovation and boost our competitiveness. We want AI to be a force for good and for growth. We are doing this through our own European approach – based on openness, cooperation and excellent talent. But our approach still needs to be supercharged. This is why, together with our Member States and with our partners, we will mobilise unprecedented capital through InvestAI for European AI gigafactories. This unique public-private partnership, akin to a CERN for AI, will enable all our scientists and companies – not just the biggest - to develop the most advanced very large models needed to make Europe an AI continent.” 

President of the European Investment Bank, Nadia Calviño, said: “Together with the EU Commission, the EIB Group is stepping up support for Artificial Intelligence, a key driver of innovation and productivity in Europe.”

European Investment Bank President Nadia Calviño said: "Together with the European Commission, the EIB Group is stepping up its support for artificial intelligence, a key driver of innovation and productivity in Europe.

Gigafactories for the next generation of AI

At the heart of the initiative is a new €20 billion European fund that will finance four state-of-the-art AI gigafactories. These will train the most complex AI models - with around 100,000 latest-generation chips per factory. This is four times more than previous facilities. The Gigafactories are the driving force behind breakthrough innovations in medicine, science and industry.

InvestAI: Europe's largest public-private partnership in AI

InvestAI is the world's largest government-industry alliance for trustworthy AI. The European model: open, collaborative and focused on industrial excellence. The aim is to give all companies access to high performance computing capabilities - not just the tech giants.

Funding with vision

The InvestAI fund is being set up as a multi-layered funding platform. The EU budget will reduce the risk for private investors. Initial funding will come from programmes such as Digital Europe, Horizon Europe and InvestEU. Member states can also participate, for example with money from their cohesion funds. The AI gigafactories are also a pilot project for strategic investments under the Competitiveness Compass.

Rapid progress

In December, the EU announced the construction of seven AI factories. The next five will follow soon. With €10 billion from the EU and member states, the world's largest public investment in AI has already been launched. The effect: a multiple of private investment and free access to supercomputers for start-ups and industry.

The road to European AI excellence

InvestAI is part of a comprehensive strategy to put Europe at the forefront of the global AI race. This includes

• Targeted funding for generative AI through Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe programme,
• Training initiatives for professionals in AI development and application
• the development of shared European data spaces for research
• the GenAI4EU initiative to develop new AI use cases in areas such as health, mobility and climate.

In 2025, the Commission will launch the Apply AI programme to accelerate the use of AI in key sectors of the economy. In parallel, a European AI Research Council will be established to unlock the potential of untapped data sources for innovative applications.

Medium to long-term innovation potential for SMEs

InvestAI in Bavaria does not currently offer direct financial support for start-ups and SMEs, as the focus is on building infrastructure. In the long term, however, there could be benefits for smaller companies, particularly through access to high-performance computing capacity. Similar to the new AI factories, emerging gigafactories could provide the computing power needed to support start-ups and SMEs in advanced AI applications such as medical development.

The InvestAI initiative could have a positive impact on the innovation potential of SMEs in the medium to long term, depending on the speed and effectiveness with which the AI gigafactories are built and subsequently operated. InvestAI also promotes sustainable and energy-efficient AI technologies, which is of particular interest to companies focused on resource-efficient solutions.

Europe is investing in the future. InvestAI lays the foundations for a strong, responsible AI economy that combines innovation and competitiveness.

Further information can be found here at the EU Commission.