Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang delivered a keynote at VivaTech 2026 in Paris, focusing on the expansion of AI factories across Europe. His address coincided with the opening of Europe’s largest technology conference, which marks its 10th anniversary.
This appearance follows Huang’s keynote at the same venue in 2025, where he outlined plans for European sovereign AI and announced collaborations with various telecom operators and governments. Huang noted that these previous commitments are beginning to take shape.
Mistral AI, a French generative AI company, is set to launch its first Nvidia-powered data center near Paris by the end of June 2026. This facility will utilize 13,800 Nvidia GB300 GPUs, providing 44 megawatts of compute capacity. Mistral aims for a total capacity of 200 megawatts across European sites, supported by $830 million in debt financing from lenders including Bpifrance, BNP Paribas, HSBC, and MUFG.
On the opening day of VivaTech, Foxconn announced its entry into the European market, introducing the Nvidia Vera Rubin NVL72 rack-scale AI platform and a partnership with France’s Bull to manufacture and commercialize the system.
The conference highlights a broader shift in Europe towards domestic AI infrastructure. In Germany, Deutsche Telekom has launched Europe’s first industrial AI cloud, deploying 10,000 Nvidia Blackwell GPUs to support regional manufacturers. Additionally, the European Union plans to build four AI gigafactories at an estimated cost of $20 billion, with a program in Germany expected to commence operations in 2027.
According to Reuters, Huang has informed EU officials of his intention to allocate chip production capacity specifically for European AI factory initiatives.
Huang’s appearance in Paris precedes Nvidia’s annual stockholder meeting on June 24. Shareholders will vote on several items, including contested proposals related to greenhouse gas emissions disclosure and policies on religious discrimination.
VivaTech 2026 will continue through June 20, featuring additional keynotes from Meta’s Yann LeCun and Mistral AI CEO Arthur Mensch.
