EU pushes AI industry and smart‑meter rollout to strengthen digital sovereignty

European Union officials and industry experts are promoting a coordinated strategy to build a home‑grown artificial‑intelligence sector and accelerate the deployment of smart electricity meters. The EU’s AI Continent Action Plan calls for at least 19 AI factories, up to five gigafactories and €20 billion of public funding to attract private investment, with a focus on data‑rich, industrial‑grade AI models, resilient digital infrastructure and strong telecom connectivity. Initiatives such as the Barcelona Supercomputing Center’s AI Factory, the EURO‑3C consortium and Mistral AI’s push for open models aim to reduce reliance on US and Chinese providers.

In parallel, the Commission unveiled a cybersecurity and AI plan that would grant EU firms and public agencies conditional access to advanced models like Anthropic’s Mythos and OpenAI’s GPT‑5.6, and establish an independent evaluation unit by 2027 to test model safety. The plan also envisions a potential AI gigafactory in Catalonia.

Separately, the European Smart Metering Industry Group (ESMIG) has issued recommendations to complete the EU smart‑meter rollout, setting binding targets of 60 % of measurement points by 2030 and 80 % by 2032. Smart meters are presented as critical grid‑intelligence tools that improve demand flexibility, cyber‑security and consumer participation.

Commentary highlights that Europe faces high energy costs, fragmented capital markets and regulatory hurdles that could hinder its AI competitiveness, but its strong social model and focus on digital sovereignty are seen as strategic assets.