The member states have agreed to amend the EuroHPC regulation to build up to five new major AI centers and to integrate quantum technology.
Council adopts position on updated regulation to create AI Gigafactories
Brussels, December 9, 2025 The Council of the European Union has reached a political agreement on the update of the regulation governing the Joint Undertaking for High Performance Computing (EuroHPC). This decision marks a decisive step for Europe's technological autonomy, establishing the necessary framework for the launch of "AI gigafactories" — large-scale facilities that combine supercomputers with energy-efficient data centers.
In short:
1. The regulation aims to create up to five AI gigafactories through public-private partnerships.
2. Quantum research activities are transferred under the EuroHPC umbrella for better coordination.
3. Unused EU funds can be redirected to finance these strategic projects.
The new gigafactories will operate as dynamic ecosystems, providing world-class computing infrastructure to researchers, start-ups, and the European industry. The proposed regulation offers operational flexibility and allows for the establishment of multi-site facilities that can span across multiple countries. It also introduces strict guarantees for the participation of third countries, protecting the EU's security interests, and specific measures to support companies that are just starting out (scale-ups).
A major change is the creation of a dedicated quantum technology pillar within EuroHPC, moving activities from the Horizon Europe program to strengthen efforts in this critical area. Christina Egelund, the Danish Minister for Higher Education and Science, emphasized that Europe owes its citizens a strong response to the dominance of the USA and China. The European Parliament is set to give its opinion on December 17, after which the regulation will be finally adopted.