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Europe’s AI supercomputers are made accessible through EuroHPC AI Factories: service infrastructures that pair AI-optimised computing with data-centre resources, dedicated access, specialist services and expert support. European researchers and businesses can apply through EuroHPC access calls; the call terms determine who can use a resource and what support or computing time is available.
What an AI Factory provides
An AI Factory is not just a supercomputer. Under the amended EuroHPC Regulation, it is a centralised or distributed service infrastructure built around an AI-optimised supercomputer or AI partition. It also includes an associated data centre, dedicated access, AI-oriented supercomputing services and people who help users build the skills needed to work with the systems. The amended EuroHPC Regulation sets out this definition.
In practice, that means the offer can extend beyond compute time to data-centre resources and specialist help. The European Commission describes the network as connecting supercomputing centres with universities, SMEs, industry and financial actors. The Commission says the Factories are open to European users from industry, research, academia and public authorities. The Commission’s AI Factories overview explains the network and its intended users.
Facilities should not be assumed to offer identical hardware, services, eligibility rules or allocations. Applicants need to check the relevant Factory and the live call conditions rather than infer terms from the network label.
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How researchers and businesses can seek access
The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking coordinates access to computing time and the support services offered by AI Factories. Access calls set out the route to apply, including the available facility and the conditions for a particular allocation. Because calls and deadlines change, consult the live EuroHPC Large Scale Access to AI Factories page and the relevant Factory for current eligibility and application instructions.
- Identify the work and its needs. Define the AI activity, the scale of computing and storage it requires, and what specialist support would help.
- Choose a suitable access call. Review the call’s eligibility, facility, allocation and deadline; the published terms, not a general description of the network, govern an application.
- Apply through the route specified in the call. Follow its application process and explain why the project needs the requested resources and support.
- Check facility-specific details. Confirm the services and conditions with the selected Factory. Access is not automatic, and the available evidence does not establish that every applicant receives free or guaranteed capacity.
When Large Scale Access may fit
The Large Scale Access call is intended for AI activities with high impact and high potential gain that can justify substantial computing time, data storage and support services. It is therefore a route to consider when a project’s resource needs and expected contribution warrant a large allocation, rather than assuming it is the default path for every AI workload. EuroHPC’s call page is the place to check the current scope and terms.
- Explain the project’s AI objectives and why the work merits large-scale resources.
- Estimate the compute and storage requirements in terms relevant to the call.
- Identify the specialist services or expertise the project needs.
- Verify current eligibility, deadlines and application requirements before preparing a submission.
How large is the network?
In its 30 July 2026 announcement launching a call related to AI Gigafactories, EuroHPC reported 19 AI Factories and 13 AI Factory Antennas. The European Commission reported on 10 October 2025 that over €2.6 billion had been committed to the AI Factories and Antennas initiative; that figure is committed funding, not a statement that the money had already been spent. See the EuroHPC announcement and the Commission funding announcement.
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AI Factories and AI Gigafactories are at different stages
AI Factories are the service network described above. AI Gigafactories are a further expansion under development, not a fully operational network of facilities. In July 2026, EuroHPC launched a call related to them and described an intended computing environment combining AI-optimised supercomputers with advanced data centres, high-capacity storage, ultra-fast networks, secure cloud access and specialised support. Its announcement says researchers, industry and public-sector users throughout Europe are to access the systems through EuroHPC Access Calls. EuroHPC’s call announcement describes the development.
The European Commission’s January 2026 announcement on the amended regulation says Gigafactories are intended to provide resources to European researchers, startups, industry and public authorities within European data-protection and AI-governance frameworks. These are policy aims; they do not establish a particular project’s deployment date or guarantee how a specific facility will meet those aims. The Commission’s regulation announcement sets out that policy context.
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