France and the Czech Republic are to strengthen Europe’s control over critical AI computing infrastructure, signing a strategic technology agreement backed by an industrial partnership supporting the Czech bid to host a European AI Gigafactory.
French computing specialist Bull will join a consortium led by Czech infrastructure company České Radiokomunikace (CRA), as European governments seek to expand domestic AI capacity and reduce dependence on foreign technology providers.
Anne Le Hénanff, France’s Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence, and Karel Havlíček, the Czech Republic’s Minister of Industry and Trade, signed the bilateral agreement which establishes four priorities: stronger government coordination, development of sovereign AI technologies, joint efforts under the European ‘AI Gigafactories’ initiative and permanent administrative contacts to support future projects.
The initiative is led by the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC), which is coordinating the European call for projects.
The agreement between CRA and Bull provides for Bull’s integration into the consortium supporting the Czech application for EuroHPC co-financing of AI Gigafactories.
Both governments backed the collaboration as an early industrial outcome of their wider partnership. It combines Czech infrastructure expertise with French computing capabilities and could help establish strategic AI facilities within Europe.
The proposed gigafactory would form part of Europe’s broader effort to build large-scale computing infrastructure capable of supporting the development and deployment of advanced AI systems. Access to such facilities is increasingly important for businesses and researchers seeking the processing power required for demanding workloads.
For the Czech Republic, the EuroHPC application represents an opportunity to secure a larger role in Europe’s emerging AI infrastructure network. For France, Bull’s participation offers a route to extend its industrial involvement in European computing projects. The agreement does not itself confirm funding or approval for the proposed facility under the European programme.
The arrangement links government policy with a specific industrial bid, although the consortium must still compete through the EuroHPC selection process. Its outcome will determine whether the proposed Czech facility proceeds.
The countries also committed to strengthening technological competitiveness and developing an AI ecosystem that is sovereign, open and interoperable.
Le Hénanff said: “This agreement reflects our shared commitment to building a sovereign, open and interoperable European artificial intelligence, leveraging the industrial and technological strengths of our two countries. The partnership concluded between CRA and Bull is a first concrete example of this. It demonstrates that European cooperation can translate into structuring industrial projects, serving our competitiveness and strategic autonomy.”
Karel Havlíček, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, said:
“We want Czech businesses and researchers to have access to the computing capacity and technologies they need to develop and use artificial intelligence. Cooperation with France opens up opportunities for joint projects and strengthens our ambition to establish an AI gigafactory in the Czech Republic. The partnership between České Radiokomunikace and Bull is a concrete example, bringing together Czech and French industrial expertise. Our goal is to strengthen the competitiveness of the Czech economy and contribute to Europe’s technological sovereignty.”
