2CRSi SA: 2CRSi initiates, within the ÆTHER Infrastructure consortium, an exclusive negotiation for the establishment of a strategic industrial site dedicated to AI Gigafactories

Press Release

2CRSi initiates, within the ÆTHER Infrastructure consortium, an exclusive negotiation for the establishment of a strategic industrial site dedicated to AI Gigafactories

Strasbourg, February 18, 2026 – 2CRSi (ISIN: FR0013341781), a designer and manufacturer of high-performance and energy-efficient servers, announces the opening of an exclusive negotiation (*) as part of the structuring, on behalf of the European consortium “ÆTHER Infrastructure,” of a strategic industrial site dedicated to the development of next-generation artificial intelligence infrastructures. The identified site presents technical and energy characteristics compatible with European guidelines relating to the development of AI Gigafactories, in anticipation of a future European call for tenders announced at this stage.

(*) This exclusivity period does not constitute a binding commitment to acquire nor a guarantee that the transaction will be completed, which remains subject to the satisfactory outcome of ongoing due diligence and the execution of definitive contractual documentation.

2CRSi is acting as the industrial initiator and technical coordinator of the project.

The financial, real estate, and energy structuring will be carried out by a dedicated entity bringing together specialized partners.

2CRSi is not intended to provide capital backing for the project.

Phased Deployment

The project will be deployed in successive phases in order to align investment with actual demand. Subject to ongoing technical verifications with RTE, the site could progressively evolve from an initial electrical capacity of 40 MW to a maximum of 300 MW.

The 300 MW capacity represents a long-term objective, subject to regulatory approvals and the gradual ramp-up of demand.

The initial 40 MW phase represents a baseline capacity that may be activated depending on market conditions.

This site represents the first operational deployment of the ÆTHER Infrastructure consortium. It is part of a broader roadmap aimed at eventually establishing a network of interconnected sites across Europe, notably in Germany and Luxembourg, which are currently under consideration. The consortium’s ambition is to contribute to the emergence of a truly European artificial intelligence infrastructure, accessible to the continent’s economic and technological stakeholders, developed in Europe and operated by European partners.

Technological Positioning

The site is designed to enable, as early as 2026, the deployment of high-density servers (exceeding 130 kW per rack) with liquid cooling, compatible with next-generation leading processors and GPUs, including future NVIDIA Vera Rubin or AMD Instinct generations.

In order to actively contribute to European technological sovereignty, the consortium intends to facilitate “bare metal” access for emerging European technology players such as SiPearl, Axelera, Vsora, and Vates, as well as any innovative company capable of addressing European market needs. The ambition is to provide an open and competitive infrastructure enabling sovereign technologies to benefit from an experimentation ground followed by potential industrial-scale deployment.

The project is not limited to the creation of an AI Gigafactory, as it is conceived as a multimodal industrial site combining high-density computing capacity, related activities, and regional synergies aimed at strengthening its integration within the local and European economic fabric and optimizing the societal benefits expected from a project of this scale.

Financial Impact for 2CRSi

Within this project, 2CRSi acts as industrial initiator and technical coordinator, placing its recognized expertise in high-density architectures and next-generation AI infrastructures at the service of the consortium.

The financial, real estate, and energy structuring of the site will be carried out by a dedicated consortium entity composed of specialized partners, with no impact on 2CRSi’s balance sheet. At this stage, no real estate assets will be recorded within the Group’s perimeter, and no capital increase financing is contemplated. The project does not entail any change in the consolidation scope or in 2CRSi’s current financial commitments.

Beyond this balance-sheet neutrality, the initiative opens up structuring commercial prospects for the Group. It constitutes a major technological showcase in Europe and a natural outlet for its high-density server solutions, advanced liquid cooling technologies, and engineering services delivered through 2CRSi Cloud Solutions. Initial commercial opportunities could emerge as early as the preparatory phases of the project, thereby strengthening 2CRSi’s positioning at the core of European artificial intelligence infrastructures.

ÆTHER Infrastructure addressing sovereign AI challenges

During the meeting dedicated to data centers held on January 30 at the French Ministry of Economy (Bercy), it was recalled that the development of artificial intelligence infrastructures in France and Europe must rely on a comprehensive and structured industrial vision. Since its creation, the ÆTHER consortium has defined five strategic pillars guiding each of its projects.

The first, and most fundamental, is to provide an integrated industrial response to the development of artificial intelligence. France and Europe possess all the necessary stakeholders for the success of such projects, from server designers and electrical component manufacturers to integrators, cloud operators, engineering firms, and AI service providers. The consortium’s objective is to involve as many European industrial champions as possible to demonstrate that the continent retains a complete and competitive industrial expertise covering the entire value chain.

The second strategic pillar is based on strong integration of the AI Gigafactory within the local ecosystem. The site will develop complementary activities enabling direct use of computing capacity by regional economic stakeholders. It will also incorporate mechanisms for valorizing operational by-products, notably through the reuse of waste heat in district heating networks or the recovery of certain industrial waste in complementary energy processes.

The third pillar concerns environmental leadership. The consortium aims for a 100% decarbonized power supply and the development of associated energy activities such as energy storage and energy production solutions based on sustainably and responsibly sourced biomass, which could also benefit local authorities and surrounding economic actors. The objective is to embed the infrastructure within a measurable and sustainable energy transition framework.

The fourth axis relies on strengthening public-private partnerships at national and local levels. From the earliest phases of the project, local authorities, higher education institutions, and research organizations will be involved to foster training, innovation, and skills development in a region particularly rich in research and development.

Finally, the fifth key element lies in execution capability. In the context of global technological competition and accelerating innovation cycles, speed and rigor of implementation are decisive factors. The site’s gradual ramp-up will align investment, technological maturity, and industrial demand while ensuring a controlled development trajectory.

An ambition for the Grand Est Region, France, and Europe

The project led by the ÆTHER Infrastructure consortium in the Grand Est region represents far more than a simple industrial investment. It is a strategic initiative aimed at supporting European competitiveness in artificial intelligence, strengthening computing capacity accessible to industrial and academic stakeholders, and structuring a sustainable ecosystem around a next-generation industrial site.

By combining technological performance, regional anchoring, environmental excellence, and mobilization of the European value chain, the consortium intends to contribute to positioning the Grand Est region within a long-term industrial and technological dynamic serving European digital sovereignty.

This project fully aligns with 2CRSi’s development strategy, focused on designing and delivering high value-added technological solutions, without modifying its financial profile or business model.

About ÆTHER Infrastructure

Founded in June 2025, the European consortium ÆTHER Infrastructure brings together major industrial players from the energy, infrastructure, cloud, and high-performance computing sectors to develop sovereign, sustainable, and competitive AI Gigafactories at the European scale.

About 2CRSi

Founded in 2005 in Strasbourg (France), 2CRSi designs, develops, and manufactures high-performance computer servers and innovative solutions for Artificial Intelligence, high-performance computing, and data storage. Committed to a responsible and sustainable approach, the group operates across multiple continents and delivers energy-efficient technological solutions to sectors including tech, industry, gaming, scientific research, and datacenters. 2CRSi has been listed since June 2018 on the Euronext Paris regulated market (ISIN code: FR0013341781) and transferred to Euronext Growth in November 2022.

Learn more at https://2crsi.com/

Contacts 2CRSi