The bid for a European artificial intelligence gigafactory in Catalonia has made significant progress with the approval of the public-private company that will promote it in Móra la Nova. This green light, granted by the Executive Council and subsequently by the Council of Ministers, marks a firm step in the development of this strategic infrastructure.
The Generalitat de Catalunya joins the company's capital with an initial 1%. The Spanish State, through the Spanish Society for Technological Transformation (SETT), will contribute 47.99%. Furthermore, major technology and financial companies such as Telefónica, ACS, Banco Santander, and Multiverse are also promoters of this initiative.
Government spokesperson Sílvia Paneque highlighted the strategic commitment to the Ribera d'Ebre region, where the company will establish its registered office. This decision aims to strengthen the territorial roots of a key infrastructure for generating economic activity, qualified employment, and positioning Catalonia as a leader in artificial intelligence, promoting a decentralized project and ensuring sovereignty in a sensitive area.
The creation of this new company is an essential requirement to participate in the upcoming European call for AI gigafactories. The Spanish government has approved an investment of 719 million euros for the project, with the goal of reducing Europe's technological dependence and ensuring AI development adheres to European regulations, as emphasized by the Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Function, Óscar López, who highlighted the commitment to "technological sovereignty, reindustrialization, and leadership in reliable and sustainable AI."
These AI gigafactories are massive data centers designed to train advanced artificial intelligence models, a sector currently dominated by the United States and China. This operation strengthens the Spanish AI ecosystem, which already includes centers like the Supercomputing Center of Barcelona and the Galician Supercomputing Center (CESGA).
