Call for "AI Gigafactories" EU Commission Wants to Reduce Barriers for AI Deployment

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eco - Verband der Internetwirtschaft e. V.

Bitkom e.V.

Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders' Association (TMBA)

Wuxi InfiMotion Technology Co., Ltd.

Brussels presents a new strategy to promote artificial intelligence. However, not everyone believes in the effectiveness of the planned measures. The associations Bitkom and Eco welcome the so-called "AI Continent Action Plan."

The EU Commission wants to reduce barriers for the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and thus better prepare European companies for global competition. When presenting its new AI strategy, the Brussels authority announced plans to simplify rules, promote investments, and massively expand the development of its own data centers.

The plan is likely also a response to criticism from the tech industry that European regulations, such as the AI Act, are too bureaucratic and stifle innovation. The Commission intends to specifically ask companies for feedback on where rules are unclear or obstructive. The goal is to better align regulations with rapid technological development without compromising safety and ethical standards.

Super Centers for Europe's Digital Sovereignty

A key focus of the new strategy is on infrastructure. The Commission aims to significantly advance Europe's data centers in the coming years and is calling on member states to apply for the construction of so-called "AI gigafactories." These super centers are intended to train particularly powerful AI models. The idea was already announced at the beginning of the year, and now the application process is starting. A total of 21 billion dollars in investments are to be mobilized for this purpose.

Currently, according to the Brussels authority, only 13.5 percent of companies in Europe use AI technologies. The Commission wants to significantly increase this percentage and make Europe a leading location for powerful yet responsibly used AI. So far, the EU has lagged behind compared to countries like China and the USA.

The acting digital minister Volker Wissing welcomed the plan as an important step for Europe's technological independence. At the same time, he called for less bureaucracy and better investment conditions.

The KI Bundesverband expressed disappointment, describing the strategy as one with many announcements but little new substance. "The European AI industry does not need further announcements of already known measures and fragmented individual strategies, but rather effective funding and award procedures that can keep pace with the speed of technological development," said Chairman Jörg Bienert.

Bitkom on the AI Continent Action Plan of the EU

Regarding the AI Continent Action Plan of the EU Commission, Susanne Dehmel, member of the Bitkom management board, states:

"With the AI Continent Action Plan, the EU is shifting its focus from AI regulation to AI promotion—and it's high time for that. The European states can only catch up with the leading AI nations USA and China together and lay the foundations for a competitive, European AI. An AI from Europe would make a decisive contribution to Europe's digital sovereignty. The current geopolitical situation and the tense trade relations with the USA make this more necessary than ever.

With the planned AI gigafactories, the EU is building on the proven CERN model of scientific collaboration and creating large, scalable computing centers for AI. The proposed 21 billion dollars are a necessary investment to at least reduce the European lag in the computing power crucial for AI, but they will not suffice when considering the investment amounts in other countries. Equally important as such an infrastructure booster is the clear commitment in the AI Continent Action Plan to regulatory simplification. The AI Act must not become a brake on European AI efforts. Therefore, it is important that the announcement to minimize the bureaucracy costs of the AI Act is followed by action and that the promotion of innovation and regulation in artificial intelligence are much better balanced in the future.

What is still missing are many necessary specifics. This concerns, for example, details on the desired "Data Union Strategy" for the cross-border availability of data essential for AI training and application, as well as the question of where the necessary funds for the new European AI plan will come from exactly. Without clear financing and timelines, there is a risk that the AI Continent Action Plan will be just another good idea that fizzles out. Europe needs to pick up the pace on the topic of AI now."

Eco—Association of the Internet Industry on the AI Continent Action Plan

With the AI Continent Action Plan released today, the EU Commission is sending an ambitious signal: Europe aims to become the number one AI hub—with targeted investments in computing power, data infrastructures, skilled labor, and application support. From Eco's perspective, this is a much-needed paradigm shift in European AI polic—towards more innovation, scalability, and competitiveness, and also to truly broaden the application of AI.

"The AI Action Plan comes at the right time. Europe can no longer lag behind in global AI development. Now we need implementation power instead of further regulatory blockades," emphasizes Oliver Süme, Chairman of the Board of Eco.

"We particularly welcome that the Commission has identified real levers to accelerate AI innovations in Europe with initiatives such as AI factories and planned gigafactories, the InvestAI program, and the envisioned cloud and data strategy. The commitment to triple European data center capacity by 2030 is also a positive signal that must now be substantiated with concrete funding and simplification measures."

It is also positive that initial steps to alleviate the burden on companies with the AI Act have been announced, such as through a central AI Act Service Desk and simplified access to information. It is now crucial that these words are followed by concrete, rapidly effective measures—particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Eco association demands:

• a binding, practical AI support strategy at the EU level,

• a digital omnibus to simplify existing regulations,

• more support for SMEs in implementing the AI Act,

• strategic measures for talent acquisition, including targeted immigration, training, and further education programs,

• and systematic involvement of businesses in all phases of implementation.

• targeted investments in European computing and data infrastructures and their sustainability with gigafactories as central anchors in Europe.

Only in this way can Europe achieve true technological sovereignty in the AI field and compete globally with the USA and China, according to Eco.

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