A group led by Nobel laureate Philippe Aghion and former EU commissioner Margrethe Vestager published a strategy on September 14. It warns that European model developers together earn less than 2 percent of the revenue of just two US rivals, and calls for decisive action this year.
A coalition of leading European economists, politicians and AI experts published a strategy for handling transformative AI on September 14, 2026. Authors include Nobel laureate Philippe Aghion, former EU commissioner Margrethe Vestager, Monika Schnitzer who chairs Germany's council of economic advisers, and ifo president Clemens Fuest. The group warns that Europe risks becoming permanently dependent on a handful of foreign governments and companies unless decisive action follows this year. The strategy cites concrete figures: by 2030 Europe needs 45 gigawatts of additional power for data centers, requiring roughly 1.3 trillion euros in investment.
The warning is addressed directly at the European Commission and member states, feeding arguments into future funding programs and investment decisions. The figure of less than 2 percent combined revenue share for European model developers against just two US rivals makes the gap concrete. For companies this means government funding schemes and partnership models for data center financing are likely to gain weight in coming months. Firms that invest in European AI infrastructure now, or partner with European providers, position themselves early in a field slated for strong political support.
Critics might note that similar strategy papers have rarely led to fast political action in the past, and that the cited investment sums can hardly be raised from private capital alone. The authors themselves acknowledge that European companies cannot cover the needed 1.3 trillion euros by themselves and that foreign capital is required. Whether the Commission actually implements the proposed measures quickly, or the paper ends up without concrete consequences, remains open.
What this means for decision-makers
- Track which EU funding programs emerge concretely from this strategy paper.
- Explore early partnership options with European data center operators.
- Assess your own supply chain's dependence on a small number of non-European AI providers.
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