Europe AI Continent Action Plan – Synergies Opportunities for IPCEI-CIS
23, April, 2025
The European Commission has presented the AI Continent Action Plan, a transformative roadmap designed to position the EU as a global leader in artificial intelligence. With an ambitious and human-centric vision, the plan builds on Europe’s robust industrial base, world-class research landscape, and technological expertise to unlock AI’s full potential for society and the economy.
At the heart of the plan lies InvestAI, a new initiative aiming to mobilise €200 billion, including up to €20 billion for the development of five AI gigafactories—large-scale computing and data infrastructures crucial for training frontier AI models. These facilities, together with 13 next-generation AI factories, will serve as Europe’s innovation hubs, offering start-ups, researchers, universities, and industries access to massive computing power, abundant high-quality data, and top-tier talent. The first AI factory is set to launch in 2025, with all 13 expected to be operational by 2026.
Five Strategic Steps to European AI Leadership
The AI Continent vision is structured around a clear path to leadership:
AI Factories as Innovation Hubs: These next-level hubs integrate computing, data, and talent. They will drive breakthrough innovations while serving as open ecosystems that connect universities, policymakers, start-ups, and industry leaders, fostering cross-domain and cross-border collaboration.
Scaling Sustainable Data Capacity: High-quality data is essential. The EU aims to triple its data capacity within the next 5 to 7 years, with sustainability at the core. A key concept is Frugal AI—developing efficient, low-resource models capable of running on smaller servers with minimal energy consumption.
AI for All: By connecting diverse actors across Member States, the plan promotes inclusivity, rapid knowledge transfer, and innovation sharing across sectors, ensuring the benefits of AI are widespread and accessible.
Putting People First: Beyond infrastructure, the strategy prioritises responsibility, fairness, transparency, safety, and sustainability. The EU also aims to attract and retain skilled professionals from around the world.
Immediate Action, Long-Term Vision: The first AI factory is on track to launch in 2025. All measures feed into Europe’s wider ambition to become the global hub for responsible, cutting-edge AI. As Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated in the AI Paris Summit speech: “AI needs competing, but AI also needs collaboration. AI needs the confidence of the people and has to be safe.”
Strategic Alignment with IPCEI-CIS
The Action Plan’s focus on building large-scale computing infrastructure, expanding cloud and data capacity, and increasing the availability of high-quality datasets aligns closely with the objectives of IPCEI-CIS (Important Projects of Common European Interest in Cloud Infrastructure and Services). Both initiatives promote digital sovereignty, strategic public-private investment, and cross-border collaboration, laying a solid foundation for a secure, scalable, and future-proof digital Europe.
Complementary Pillars
Additional key pillars of the AI Continent plan include:
- The Data Union Strategy enables a genuine single market for data.
- The Apply AI Strategy, aimed at accelerating adoption in strategic sectors such as health and public administration.
- A dedicated AI Act Service Desk to support businesses with regulatory compliance.
As the EU advances digital competitiveness, the European Approach to AI, the AI Continent Action Plan, AI regulatory framework —reinforced by flagship initiatives like IPCEI-CIS —marks a pivotal step towards a sustainable, sovereign, and human-centric AI future.
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