A new bottleneck in the digital economy

AI is reshaping every industry. Hyperscale data centers and edge networks are expanding at unprecedented speed, powering systems that must run around the clock.

Yet as adoption accelerates, so does energy demand. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt recently warned that AI data centers could one day consume nearly all of the electricity the world produces.

This is not just an energy issue. It is a technology challenge. The hardware at the core of these systems, particularly memory, remains one of the biggest bottlenecks for power efficiency and sustainable growth.

Europe’s strategic weakness

Europe sits at the center of this challenge. The continent consumes roughly a quarter of the world’s semiconductor memory, but produces none of it. While the European Union plans to double chip production capacity by 2030 and grow its global market share from less than ten percent to twenty, memory remains a critical gap.

Without closing this gap, Europe cannot achieve true digital sovereignty or global leadership in the next wave of AI-driven innovation. Memory is not just another component. It is the foundation that will determine which regions lead the digital economy and which ones fall behind.

Closing the gap with smarter infrastructure

For Europe to lead, energy-efficient, sustainable AI infrastructure must be built inside the EU. This requires next-generation memory solutions that:

— Cut energy use dramatically
— Strengthen local supply chains
— Ensure data security and strategic independence

Meeting AI’s growing demands is only part of the equation. The real challenge is reducing its energy footprint while securing Europe’s role in the global technology landscape.

The next generation of memory

FMC is working to close this gap with DRAM+ and CACHE+, two memory technologies designed to meet AI’s scale while cutting its energy consumption. These are not incremental upgrades. They fundamentally change how memory supports the next generation of computing.

— DRAM+ introduces non-volatility, allowing systems to retain data even when powered down. This reduces energy-intensive restarts and downtime while improving system efficiency.

— CACHE+ delivers SRAM-class speed at a fraction of the cost and power, enabling high-performance systems without the traditional energy burden.

Together, these solutions help AI data centers, cloud infrastructure, and edge networks achieve the performance they need while drastically reducing their energy use.

Built in Europe, for Europe

This transformation is powered by collaboration. FMC is working closely with Europe’s leading innovation hubs, CEA-Leti in France, IMEC in Belgium, and Fraunhofer in Germany, alongside high-volume manufacturing partners in Asia and system integrators in North America.

Through this global ecosystem, these technologies are being developed and scaled in Europe, for Europe, while ensuring the capacity to serve global markets.

Securing Europe’s Digital Future

This effort aligns with the European Commission’s goals for semiconductor leadership and sustainable growth. But it is more than a policy initiative. It is a response to an urgent reality:

— Europe must secure its digital backbone
— Reduce the climate impact of AI
— And lead, rather than follow, in one of the most critical technology races of our time

With DRAM+ and CACHE+, FMC is helping Europe turn its greatest technological vulnerability into a source of strength.

This is Europe’s memory turning point: the moment to build a digital economy that is not just faster, but
smarter and more sustainable.