In Brussels' offices, the clock has stopped once again for one of today's most crucial technology projects. The strategic European AI Gigafactories call, designed to ensure continental sovereignty in artificial intelligence, faces yet another administrative snag. While tech companies call for swift action and massive infrastructure investments, the European Commission's bureaucratic apparatus has announced a further postponement of the key deadline.
Timeline of Delays and Bureaucratic Hurdles
Original plans expected applicants interested in building giant artificial intelligence hubs to submit their proposals by November 12. However, this deadline proved unrealistic. An alternate date was then set for December 3, but even that was not final. Currently, the application deadline has been pushed back to February 4, 2027, representing a cumulative delay of nearly three months.
The European Commission has postponed the application deadline for the AI Gigafactories call to February 2027 due to missing documents.
According to available information, the decision stems from the fact that required documents were not delivered on time. Although this is a highly complex project, repeated schedule changes raise doubts within the expert community about the professionalism of the entire process. For strategic calls of this scale, predictability and clear rules are absolutely essential for success.
Czech Ambitions Amid European Competition
Despite complications on the European Union's side, the Czech stance remains steadfast. Jan Kavalírek, CEE AI Ambassador and recipient of the AI Personality of the Year 2025 award, confirmed that the Czech side aims to win the European tender and become a pivotal link in building AI infrastructure. The goal is to transform Czechia into a comprehensive and professional AI cloud that dominates Central and Eastern Europe and plays a prominent role on the broader European stage.
Domestic project preparation is therefore not bound strictly to Brussels' timetable. České Radiokomunikace (CRA), the company behind the project, is not waiting for formal deadlines and continues to execute work according to its own schedule. This creates a paradoxical situation where the AI data center in Prague might be completed before Brussels even finishes its administrative preparation for the call.
České Radiokomunikace aims to turn Czechia into a professional AI cloud that will become a leader for the CEE region and a major European player.
Data Center Construction and Tech Partnerships
Preparations on the Czech side are already well advanced. Implementation teams are focusing on the technical architecture and securing top-tier suppliers to guarantee the competitiveness of the Czech solution. Regardless of the European Union's next steps, the project is heading toward clear milestones.
As part of the preparations to launch the AI infrastructure, the following key activities are underway:
- Building construction — physical construction work on the data center is beginning, with completion estimated in Q3 2027.
- Technology partners — CRA has teamed up with strong new partners, including French tech leader Bull.
- Hardware architecture — experts are already designing specific hardware architectures for the data center's individual halls.
The Future of European AI Infrastructure
The delay in the AI Gigafactories call raises questions about whether Europe can keep pace with global AI competition. Critics point out that the continent primarily needs swift action and massive investment, rather than prolonged bureaucratic deadlines caused by missing documentation. A predictable environment is essential for all private entities planning to participate in the call.
While waiting to see if the February deadline will indeed be the final one, Czech ambitions are set firmly on 2027. That year will be crucial both for submitting official proposals and completing the shell construction of the Prague facility. Whether Brussels' administrative processes can be brought into line with real-world construction speed remains an open question.