Europe's AI Ambitions Face Infrastructure Reality Check

A survey of over 1,000 executives reveals deep-seated anxiety regarding Europe's ability to support the AI boom, escalating infrastructure from a technical issue to a strategic crisis. This widespread concern highlights a critical vulnerability as AI deployment scales up, suggesting the continent's digital and energy foundations are unprepared for the imminent surge in demand. The report signals a crucial inflection point, shifting the focus from algorithms and talent to the physical-layer prerequisites for sovereign AI capabilities.

These findings put immense pressure on both national governments and EU bodies to accelerate and integrate their energy and digital infrastructure policies. Without a stable and affordable power grid and robust connectivity, Europe risks ceding its AI future to better-equipped regions, primarily North America. This could reshape investment flows, forcing European companies to rely on foreign cloud providers and potentially creating a permanent class of infrastructure "have-nots" within the single market.