Düsseldorf/Prague – September 12, 2026 -- Polarise, a European sovereign AI cloud provider, has signed a cooperation agreement with Czech infrastructure operator Ceske Radiokomunikace (CRA) to secure 15 MW of capacity at CRA's new "Prague Gateway" data center in Jiloviste near Prague, along with exclusive rights for further expansion at the site.
Polarise enters Central Europe with its first confirmed site partnership
The deal marks Polarise's first concrete location partnership in its expanding network of AI-ready sites across Europe and its entry into the Central European market. Prague Gateway is a purpose-built AI data center designed for liquid-cooled infrastructure and compatible with current and future GPU generations, with operational readiness targeted for mid-2027 across multiple expansion phases.
CRA supplies infrastructure and connectivity while Polarise runs the sovereign AI cloud
Under the agreement, CRA acts as local infrastructure and connectivity partner, while Polarise operates the sovereign AI infrastructure and cloud layer on the reserved capacity. The setup relies on Polarise's "AI Pod" model, integrating small, standardized data center units into existing infrastructure -- an approach already deployed in Oslo and Munich, where Polarise built what it describes as Germany's largest industrial-scale AI factory to date.
"Europe needs sovereign AI capacity, and fast -- not from a single mega-site, but from a network," said Michel Boutouil, founder and CEO of Polarise, describing the concept as a "GigaGrid" of smaller, interconnected AI factories sharing workloads across the continent.
Talks continue on possible role in EU's AI Gigafactory initiative
Beyond the Prague Gateway reservation, Polarise and CRA are preparing joint steps within a broader European AI infrastructure agenda, including potential participation in "Gigafactory"-type projects under the EU's "AI Gigafactory" initiative. Details depend on consortium discussions, and Polarise has no overarching exclusivity agreement with any single party.
Polarise's network model links smaller AI factories of typically 15 to 50 MW into a single grid that can shift workloads between locations, scaling node by node rather than concentrating capacity at one central site -- an approach the company says improves resilience and shortens time-to-market.
Polarise advances self-built AI factories near Augsburg and Munich
In the greater Augsburg area, Polarise's AI factory in Amberg (Unterallgäu) is designed for an initial 65 MW, scalable to 120 MW, with operations expected to start mid-2027. The site, built on the former Wertachtal transmitter grounds, will run largely on on-site renewable energy from solar, wind and battery storage.
The project follows Polarise's AI Hub Munich in Tucherpark, delivered from concept to operation in roughly six months and housing up to 10,000 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs, with waste heat fed into the district heating network of the adjacent neighborhood. A second Munich site is currently in development.