Bogdan Ivan
Former Romanian Minister of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism Bogdan Ivan announced that the Romanian Digitalization Authority has submitted a letter of intent to host the Black Sea AI Gigafactory.
The idea is part of a European strategic initiative aimed at “strengthening technological sovereignty and continental capabilities in the field of artificial intelligence, in full compliance with the AI Act and the Union’s objectives on technological sovereignty. The paper was submitted to the European Commission through the EuroHPC joint venture.
“The project presented concerns not only the construction of an AI factory in Romania, but also real access to state-of-the-art infrastructure for our brothers in the Republic of Moldova, for the states in the Black Sea region – and here I must mention Ukraine and Turkey – who have expressed their strong support for this common need. This initiative aims to bring European values to the Black Sea: values such as cooperation, innovation, technological sovereignty, cybersecurity, inclusiveness and sustainability. It is about ensuring that no country in this region is left behind. We are not just building an artificial intelligence factory, we are laying the foundations for a connected, secure and future-ready Black Sea region, anchored in the spirit of common European unity,” explained Bogdan Ivan.
Romania’s proposal is supported by “a representative national consortium, formed by public, private and academic figures of high standing, aiming to develop a state-of-the-art AI infrastructure with a hybrid architecture capable of serving both complex AI learning and inference processes in a reliable, secure and sustainable operating environment.”
The project involves the installation of more than 100,000 AI gas pedals in two locations, Chernavoda and Deutschest. Both were chosen for their strategic advantages in terms of energy, digital infrastructure and access to high-speed international connectivity.
“Thus, we are talking about a project that will be powered by an energy grid of up to a maximum of 1,500 MW, secure, affordable and sustainable, which positions Romania as a strategic center for high performance computing, respectful of the environment, with nuclear energy without carbon emissions. Romania’s offer is unique at European level due to the proposed facilities: Cernavoda benefits from a direct power supply from nuclear sources and a digital infrastructure connected to major European hubs via fiber optics and submarine cables. And Deutsche Staat offers an industrial site with potential for co-location of SMRs (small modular reactors), hybrid cooling and integration into a national high-speed communications network.
The consortium includes strategic partners from the private and public sectors, as well as Romania’s most important universities; strategic beneficiaries such as companies from the energy, consumer goods, advanced technologies, as well as innovative start-ups and research institutes. The consortium will be expanded and strengthened to better reflect the market requirements and the scope of the planned actions,” announced the Ministry of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, which was supported by international experts from the World Bank.
In addition to contributing to strengthening European AI capabilities, the proposed project will function as a catalyst for innovation in Central and Eastern Europe, directly influencing digital reconstruction processes in Ukraine, technological integration in the Republic of Moldova and the expansion of AI services in Serbia and Turkey, the ministry said.
