As Europe races to secure digital sovereignty, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is finding new allies in government halls. Last week, Huang toured London, Paris, and Berlin, pitching his vision of “sovereign AI”, systems shaped by local values and built on domestic infrastructure. European leaders, long cautious of U.S. tech dominance, responded with concrete commitments. French President Emmanuel Macron called AI infrastructure a sovereignty issue. In the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged over £1 billion to expand computing power. Huang’s call is resonating, and Europe’s AI future may now run through Nvidia’s chips.
Nvidia’s Sovereign AI Vision Gains Ground
Huang’s idea of sovereign AI is rooted in geography, culture, and control. Each country, he says, should build AI that reflects its own language, history, and laws. The model opposes outsourcing intelligence to foreign tech giants and encourages self-reliance. To bring this to life, Nvidia has partnered with Mistral, a Paris-based AI startup, to build a local data center. The project will use 18,000 Nvidia GPUs in its first phase, with plans to expand in 2026.
In Germany, Nvidia joined Deutsche Telekom to launch a sovereign AI cloud platform. These moves align with the EU’s $20 billion plan to build four “AI gigafactories” and reduce reliance on U.S. cloud providers like Amazon and Microsoft. “We’re going to invest billions here,” Huang said in Paris. “But Europe must act fast.”
Europe’s AI Surge Faces Power and Funding Hurdles
These announcements mark a turning point, but Europe’s AI path remains steep. Its infrastructure still lags behind both the U.S. and China. While Nvidia offers cutting-edge chips, local champions like Mistral operate on limited funding.
Mistral, which has raised around $1 billion, competes with U.S. giants that spend more than ten times that each quarter. Capgemini’s Pascal Brier, a partner of both Nvidia and Mistral, cautioned: “Hyperscalers spend $10 to $15 billion a quarter. Who in Europe can afford that exactly?” Electricity demand is also a growing concern.
Data centers already account for 3% of the EU’s electricity use, and that number is expected to rise. Power costs in Europe are among the highest globally, adding pressure to AI project budgets. Despite this, Mistral is pushing forward. It has released several open-source AI models used by businesses across Europe. Still, most companies combine Mistral’s models with tools from OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic. “Most of the time, it’s not Mistral or the rest,” Brier added. “It’s Mistral and the rest.”
Nvidia Becomes a Central Player in Europe’s Sovereign AI Plans
By aligning with Europe’s tech ambitions, Nvidia is securing its long-term presence in the region’s AI ecosystem. The company benefits from governments eager to reduce foreign dependency, while offering the tools needed to build local capacity.
European leaders are no longer treating AI as an abstract idea. Instead, they’re funding infrastructure, signing public-private deals, and elevating local startups. Macron called this the “fight for sovereignty” on a global tech stage. In Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized digital independence as key to the economy’s future. If the momentum continues, Europe’s AI landscape could be fundamentally reshaped, one where data, chips, and models are developed at home, not rented from abroad.
Sovereign AI Gains Ground with Nvidia’s Backing
Europe’s sovereign AI ambitions now have clear backers, growing funding, and a strong partner in Nvidia. The road ahead remains bumpy, with cost, energy, and competition posing real threats. But a shift is underway. For Nvidia, this means long-term demand for its GPUs. For Europe, it’s a chance to build, not just use, AI. If successful, this effort could define the next phase of digital independence on the continent.
About The Author
