Hochtief plans to apply for EU funding for data centre, Handelsblatt reports

​Germany-based construction group ​Hochtief is ‌preparing an ​application to build and operate one of ‌the large data centres, known as AI gigafactories, that the European Union ‌will fund, newspaper Handelsblatt reported on ‌Wednesday. Hochtief is looking for a partner in the venture and has yet to ⁠decide ​on ⁠the location, the paper, citing people ⁠familiar with the matter, said.

The company did ​not immediately respond to a ⁠request for comment. The European Commission last year ⁠unveiled ​plans to raise $20 billion to construct AI gigafactories as ⁠part of Europe's strategy to catch up ⁠with ⁠the United States and China on artificial intelligence.