The announcement by the European Commission regarding a tender for high-performance data centers dedicated to Artificial Intelligence (AI)-often referred to as “Gigafactories”-has met with broad support within German political circles.
Dorothee Bär, the Federal Minister for Research (CSU), stated to the “Handelsblatt” that it is a clear goal of the federal government for Germany to be a hosting location for such a facility. She confirmed that the necessary framework conditions have been established and added that the responsibility now rests with various consortiums to successfully compete for the contract. Bär expressed confidence that there would be highly competitive German applications, noting that Germany requires world-class AI infrastructure if it is to maintain its status as a global leader in key AI technologies.
Markus Blume, the Bavarian Science Minister (CSU), also voiced his approval of the tender. He told the newspaper that Bavaria would examine the bidding process closely, indicating that the state holds the greatest interest in establishing an AI Gigafactory specifically in Schweinfurt. Bavaria is actively participating in a consortium for this purpose.
North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is also optimistic about successful bids originating from the region. A spokesperson for the state government welcomed the release of the tender and confirmed that two local consortiums are currently in positive and trust-building discussions. While it remains uncertain whether they will submit a formal application, the state government pledged to provide full support should the consortiums decide to move forward with a bid.
