Bull expands Angers factory to boost European AI and supercomputing capacity

Bull has inaugurated the first phase of a major modernization project at its historic factory in Angers, France. The €80 million investment aims to double the site's production capacity and increase productivity by 30% by 2028. The facility, which specializes in high-performance computing (HPC), builds supercomputers, AI infrastructure, and enterprise servers.

The expansion includes a new 20,000m² building, with 10,700m² dedicated to production. The site is incorporating Industry 5.0 concepts, such as reconfigurable workstations and collaborative robotics. To improve energy efficiency, the factory will feature over 3,500 solar panels and a heat recovery system designed to eventually provide warmth for the equivalent of 600 local households.

This upgrade is positioned as a strategic move to bolster European digital sovereignty. Bull reports that the proportion of European components in its machines has risen from 20% to 70% over the last five years. The factory is expected to play a key role in major European projects, including the construction of the Alice Recoque exascale supercomputer in Essonne by 2027 and supporting existing systems like the JUPITER supercomputer in Germany.