Czechia bids to host one of Europe’s giant AI Gigafactories
The European Union plans to build a small network of huge AI computing centres as part of its effort to catch up with the United States and China. Czechia wants one of them to be built on the outskirts of Prague, where České Radiokomunikace is already developing a major data centre. Now, with the support of the government, the company bids to become part of the broader EU project.
Europe is investing heavily in artificial intelligence as it tries to narrow the technological gap with the United States and China. One of the most ambitious parts of that effort is a plan to establish a new generation of enormous computing centres known as AI Gigafactories.
The push was announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the AI Action Summit in Paris in February 2025. Her InvestAI initiative aims to mobilise EUR 200 billion in investment in artificial intelligence, including a new EUR 20 billion European fund specifically for AI Gigafactories. The Commission described the scheme as the world's largest public-private partnership for developing trustworthy AI, with the huge computing facilities intended to make advanced AI infrastructure available not only to major technology companies but also to European researchers, startups and other businesses. And one of those facilities could eventually be built in Czechia.
The Czech project is being developed by České Radiokomunikace, or CRA, which is already building its Prague Gateway data centre between Zbraslav and Jíloviště on the southern outskirts of the Czech capital. Miloš Mastník, Chief Executive Officer of the company, says that despite the imposing name, the basic idea behind an AI Gigafactory is relatively straightforward. “When I simplify it, it’s a place where you are training and running AI models. It’s a building full of modern chips containing GPUs – processors that are able to run and train AI models.”
The European Commission wants a small number of such facilities to serve the continent. They would provide the enormous computing capacity required to develop, train and operate increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence models.
Czech project already under construction
Czechia will be competing against projects elsewhere in Europe, but Miloš Mastník believes the Czech proposal has an important advantage: part of the necessary infrastructure is already being built. “We believe we have a very strong consortium that is being formed mostly by European-based and operating companies with a strong background. The project is rather advanced. We are not only having blueprints, but we are physically building the data centre already.”
The CRA CEO says the company has also secured the electricity needed for the facility as well as extensive fibre-optic connectivity. Geography could be another advantage. Prague's location in the centre of Europe means data can travel rapidly between the facility and neighbouring countries such as Germany and Poland – an important consideration for a computing centre expected to serve customers far beyond Czechia.
The Prague Gateway project would proceed even if the Czech bid for an EU AI Gigafactory is unsuccessful. Miloš Mastník says CRA is confident that it could find customers for the computing capacity independently. “If we are part of the Gigafactory project, it only helps us and we can do it faster.”
Potential users would range from governments and universities to startups, major industrial companies and global technology firms. Although some of the capacity would be guaranteed to the Czech state and the European Union, the CEO of České Radiokomunikace says most of it would be offered commercially. “The capacity is primarily for government and state institutions, universities and startups, but of course also for hyperscalers and large industrial companies throughout Europe. Five to seven factories will have to serve the entire European Union.” Miloš Mastník says CRA is already in discussions with foreign companies interested in locating their technology at its new data centre.
Energy, heat and Europe's technological dependence
The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence has also raised questions about the environmental impact of the infrastructure needed to power it. The issue has become particularly prominent in the United States, where some communities have opposed large data centre projects because of their electricity and water consumption and their impact on local infrastructure.
Miloš Mastník argues that the proposed Czech facility would still be relatively modest compared with some of the enormous data centre projects being developed in the United States. He says the Czech project is looking at a capacity of between 22 and 50 megawatts.
The CRA CEO also says the facility itself would produce no direct emissions and that the company is exploring ways of making use of the large quantities of heat generated by its computers.
“Later on, we are looking at opportunities to use the heat generated for local neighbourhoods for heating. These are projects for the future that can actually help the neighbourhood.” But the larger question surrounding the European initiative is whether building enormous computing centres will be enough to turn Europe into a serious competitor in artificial intelligence.
European companies remain heavily dependent on technology developed elsewhere, particularly the sophisticated processors produced by US companies and the computing infrastructure of large American technology groups. Miloš Mastník acknowledges that building AI Gigafactories alone cannot change that.
“We believe it’s one of the components in the puzzle, for sure. It’s not enough, but this is a good first step that should help promote and activate many new startups and companies in this AI battle.”
Europe, the České Radiokomunikace CEO says, also needs to support its own companies developing semiconductors, hardware and other critical technologies. For now, however, the proposed network of AI Gigafactories represents one of the European Union's biggest attempts to create the computing infrastructure needed for European artificial intelligence.
And for Czechia, securing one of those facilities would mean becoming part of that infrastructure – not simply as a user of AI technology developed elsewhere, but as one of the places where the next generation of AI models could actually be trained and run.
