HOCHTIEF, in partnership with IONOS Group, has officially submitted an Expression of Interest to the European Commission for the development and operation of a cutting-edge AI Gigafactory.
The proposed facility will deliver a high-performance data center infrastructure, with operations expected to begin as early as 2027. Leveraging next-generation GPU technology, the initial configuration will support over 50,000 GPUs, with scalability to more than 100,000 GPUs. The project is designed in alignment with European standards, ensuring robust digital sovereignty, resilience, and independence.
This submission marks the consortium’s first step in the EU’s selection process, with the European Commission expected to outline the subsequent phases in the coming months. The European Union plans to invest €20 billion across five AI Gigafactories, as part of its strategy to strengthen Europe’s AI and digital capabilities. The HOCHTIEF-IONOS consortium stands ready to further develop its concept and contribute to a sovereign European AI ecosystem.
HOCHTIEF brings extensive experience in the planning, financing, construction, and operation of data centers, with a global track record totaling approximately 6 gigawatts of project capacity. The company emphasizes lifecycle optimization and energy efficiency, delivering future-ready digital infrastructure, including cloud integration.
IONOS contributes over three decades of expertise in digitalization and cloud infrastructure. Its secure, GDPR-compliant, and energy-efficient platforms offer the technological foundation required for managing scalable AI workloads within a sovereign framework.
The consortium also includes key partners from the technology, utilities, and cybersecurity sectors, as well as leading research and development institutions.
Project financing will follow established industry models, incorporating a mix of equity, strategic partnerships, and debt, with supplemental support from targeted EU funding initiatives.
