SoftBank Pledges 75 Billion Euros for French AI Infrastructure

During the Choose France summit at the Palace of Versailles, SoftBank Group announced plans to invest up to 75 billion euros to develop 5 gigawatts of artificial intelligence data center capacity in France. The initiative's first phase involves 45 billion euros to establish 3.1 GW of capacity in the Hauts-de-France region by 2031, focusing on sites in Dunkirk, Bosquel, and Bouchain.

SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son cited France's nuclear-powered electricity and industrial capabilities as decisive factors for the investment. To support the buildout, SoftBank partnered with Schneider Electric to establish a robotized manufacturing cluster at the Port of Dunkirk for power modules and enclosures. Additionally, the firm collaborated with Électricité de France (EDF) to convert a former thermal power plant in Bouchain into a 400 MW campus and formed a joint venture with Sesterce for a 1 GW facility in Bosquel.

President Emmanuel Macron framed the deal as a historic achievement, noting that the broader Choose France summit secured a record 93 billion euros in total foreign investments across 71 projects. These investments aim to close the computing gap between Europe and the United States and China while strengthening French digital sovereignty. Other summit commitments included 10 billion dollars from Brookfield for a data center in Escaudain and 120 million euros from Hon Hai Precision Industry for AI motherboard production in Angers.