In an effort to position Europe as a global leader in artificial intelligence, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen today unveiled InvestAI, an ambitious new initiative aiming to mobilize €200 billion for AI development. Speaking at the AI Action Summit in Paris, von der Leyen announced that the flagship programme includes a dedicated European fund of €20 billion to build and operate AI “gigafactories.”

The move is intended to supercharge the open and collaborative development of highly complex AI models, accelerating breakthroughs in fields such as healthcare, science, and industry. “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.” von der Leyen said. She emphasized that Europe’s approach—rooted in collaboration and openness—still needs significant investment to keep pace.

The first phase of InvestAI will finance the establishment of four AI gigafactories. Equipped with 100,000 state-of-the-art AI chips each, these advanced facilities will accommodate the training of extremely large-scale models—four times more powerful than existing AI factories in the EU. Beyond mere computing might, the Commission aims to democratize access to these infrastructures so that “every company, not only the biggest players, can access large-scale computing power.”

InvestAI builds upon earlier support from the Commission. The existing network of AI factories launched in December 2024 already represents the world’s largest public AI investment at €10 billion, co-financed by the EU and Member States. That funding has significantly expanded supercomputing access for startups and industries alike.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) plays a pivotal role in InvestAI’s layered funding structure, which combines public grants and private equity. “Together with the EU Commission, the EIB Group is stepping up support for Artificial Intelligence, a key driver of innovation and productivity in Europe,” said EIB President Nadia Calviño.

InvestAI is complemented by a suite of EU initiatives designed to foster cutting-edge AI research, development, and deployment. Among these:

• Generative AI Funding: Horizon Europe and Digital Europe programmes offer significant support for AI startups and R&D.

• Talent Pool Initiatives: Education, training, and reskilling programmes to nurture Europe’s AI workforce.

• Data Infrastructure: Accelerated development of Common European Data Spaces, seen as vital for training next-generation AI models.

• GenAI4EU: A project facilitating novel AI applications in Europe’s 14 industrial ecosystems, from healthcare and biotech to mobility and virtual worlds.

• European AI Research Council: A newly proposed body for pooling resources and exploring data-driven technologies.

• Apply AI Initiative: Later this year, the Commission will launch an initiative to drive industrial adoption of AI in key sectors across Europe.