At the end of July, the European Commission issued a call for proposals to finance up to seven AI Gigafactories in Europe with EU and national funding of up to €10 billion, with the goal of mobilizing at least €20 billion in private investment for a total of more than €30 billion. Applications are accepted until November 12, 2026. Italy has formally submitted a bid with a consortium including Leonardo, Eni, and the Turin-based AI4Industry Foundation, drawing on the expertise of IT4LIA, the AI Factory in Bologna, which has been functioning since 2025. However, the energy issue persists: each gigafactory requires at least 1 GW of electricity, whereas Italy's present data center capacity is at 500 MW. Ten European countries have expressed interest in hosting a gigafactory, and competition is expected to be fierce.