REUTERS/Yves Herman/File PhotoThe European Union will fund seven artificial intelligence gigafactories across the bloc with €10 billion ($11.5 billion) as it accelerates efforts to narrow the technology gap with the United States and China, the European Commission said on Thursday. The plan was expanded from five planned gigafactories to seven following strong interest from EU member states. The facilities will combine advanced AI processors, software, cloud technologies, high-speed connectivity and data centres. "Access to the raw scale of computing power within AI Gigafactories is a strategic necessity for Europe as AI development accelerates," EU technology chief Henna Virkkunen said in a statement. The tender process will close on November 12, with the European Commission expected to announce successful bidders in early 2027.