Aiming to make Europe a global hub for artificial intelligence and supercomputing infrastructure, the European Commission has announced the creation of new AI Factories Antennas in seven member states and six partner countries, as well as the addition of six new AI Factories to the European network. The initiative is part of the AI ​​Continent Action Plan and the Apply AI strategy, which seek to accelerate the use of artificial intelligence across the European economy and public sector.

The AI ​​Factories Antennas, announced Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, will be installed in Belgium, Cyprus, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Malta and Slovakia, as well as partner countries such as Iceland, Moldova, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, North Macedonia and Serbia. During her visit to the Western Balkans, the President unveiled the new centers in Serbia and North Macedonia, giving businesses in the region access to European AI infrastructure.

These new points will work in close collaboration with AI Factories, providing secure remote access to supercomputers optimized for AI applications. Fully integrated into the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (JU) ecosystem, the Antennas will act as ‘local bridges’, expanding access to Europe’s AI talent, innovation and infrastructure.

Six new AI Factories

At the same time, the Commission announced the selection of six new countries to host AI Factories: Czech Republic, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain. With these additions, the European network will now number 19 AI Factories in 16 Member States, forming an interconnected core of development, training and application of innovative AI models.

The Spanish AI Factory will also include an experimental platform, offering a testing and development environment for new AI systems and applications, while the other units will act as a one-stop shop for startups, SMEs and research institutions. These structures will provide access to supercomputing systems, training and technical support, enabling European businesses to develop solutions within a digitally dominant European ecosystem.

The initiative builds on an already significant background: EuroHPC JU has procured 11 supercomputers, of which three, JUPITER in Germany, LUMI in Finland and Leonardo in Italy, are among the 10 most powerful in the world.

At the same time, EuroHPC JU also promotes the European quantum computing infrastructure by integrating cutting-edge technologies into existing supercomputer systems. Two facilities have already been inaugurated – PIAST-Q in Poland and VLQ in the Czech Republic – marking Europe’s entry into the new quantum era.

With the creation of 19 AI Factories and 13 AI Antennas, Europe is accelerating the transition to the new era of AI. Strategic infrastructure integration, support for startups and access to world-class computing power put Europe at the forefront of innovation. Beyond technological innovation, this initiative charts a clear path towards a competitive, sustainable and dominant digital Europe.