Vienna: Gigafactory for AI becomes a European hub!

Vienna: Gigafactory for AI becomes a European hub!

Wien, Österreich - On June 20, 2025, the City of Vienna officially submitted its application for one of the "Ai-Gigafactories" planned by the European Union. Mayor Michael Ludwig presented the details of this major project, which aims to strengthen the competitiveness and digital sovereignty of Europe. With a planned investment of 5 billion euros, around 65% of these costs will come from the private sector, while the rest is financed by public funds. Vienna's application is supported by other cities in the region, including Bratislava, Budapest and Ljubljana.

Ludwig emphasized the "good framework" that Vienna offers for the implementation of the project. The city is considered a "hub in Central and Central Europe", which not only meets infrastructural and economic requirements, but also pursues environmentally friendly solutions. The gigafactory is to be operated with climate -friendly electricity, while the waste heat of the data centers is fed into the existing district heating network in Vienna. This corresponds to the concept of digital humanism, which Ludwig emphasized, especially in Viennese politics and administration.

strategic importance of the gigafactory

The construction of the AI ​​gigafactory is an important milestone for the Austrian AI sector. Innovation Minister Peter Hanke explained that the settlement of this facility further underlines Vienna's innovative strength. According to the plans, each gigafactory will be equipped with over 100,000 specialized AI processors (GPUS) to enable the development and training of advanced AI models.

The initiative is part of the EU-wide action plan "AI Continent" and is supported by the Investai Facility, which creates a new European investment program of 20 billion euros for up to five AI gigaf actors. These factories would act as dynamic ecosystems, promote innovation and cooperation in artificial intelligence by integrating computing, data and talents.

growing AI infrastructure in Europe

Together with Vienna, six other AI gigafactories for Germany, Poland, France, Bulgaria and Slovenia were also selected in March 2025. This initiative is viewed as a strategic priority in the EU's AI innovation package, which aims to put at least 15 AI factories and several antennas connected to AI-optimized supercomputers by 2025-2026.

The AI ​​factories will not only be active in Vienna, but also in other European countries and strengthen the skills in various sectors such as health, production and climate protection. The manufacturing capacities and the reliable supply are emphasized to promote the development of future AI technologies, whereby a trustworthy handling of data and AI should be guaranteed in accordance with European values. From this neoliberal catalysis, the initiators expect an increased commitment of companies to support digitization across Europe.

The initiative to create this AI gigafactories is an expression of the responsibility that Europe perceives for its digital future. Vienna is ready to take on a leading role in this competition and to use its strengths in the digital infrastructure and in the innovation area. More and more AI factories are being planned to cover the need for highly developed technology and AI models.

The targeted development represents a significant progress for the Austrian and European innovation landscape and could position Vienna as the main actor in this future sector. Due to the close cooperation with private investors and the support at the political level, Vienna seems to be on the best way to get a surcharge for this pioneering project.

Wiener Presse reports that Vienna would like to play a crucial role in AI development. According to Today the prerequisites are optimized in order not only to benefit from the technological advances, but also in order to act as guidelines for other urban development. The progress associated with this initiative is intended to ensure that Europe does not fall back in the global AI competition. The entire project also helps to increase the digital efficiency sought by the EU, such as shows the European digital strategy