The European Union has taken a major step toward strengthening its artificial intelligence infrastructure after the Council approved changes to the regulation governing the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU). The amendment expands EuroHPC’s mandate to support the development of large-scale AI “gigafactories” across Europe and introduces a dedicated pillar for quantum technologies.

Under the revised framework, EuroHPC will be able to facilitate the creation and operation of world-class AI compute facilities designed to support advanced model training and deployment. The initiative aims to reinforce Europe’s industrial competitiveness and technological sovereignty while encouraging collaboration through public-private partnerships involving member states and industry players.

The updated regulation also establishes funding and procurement rules intended to balance large-scale investment with safeguards for startups and scale-ups. By giving partners greater flexibility, the EU hopes to maximize results while accelerating leadership in both artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

“Today, we’ve taken a bold and swift step towards proceeding with establishing AI gigafactories in Europe,” said Nicodemos Damianou, Cyprus’ deputy minister of research, innovation and digital policy. “AI is one of the most critical technologies of our time, defining our digital future, and investing in the needed infrastructure capacity for AI is essential for boosting Europe’s resilience, competitiveness, and sovereignty.”

Following the Council’s approval, the legislative act has been formally adopted. The amended regulation is set to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union on January 19 and will enter into force the following day, clearing the way for Europe to begin building the next generation of AI and quantum computing infrastructure.