SoftBank plans €75 billion investment in French AI data centers

SoftBank Group plans to invest up to €75 billion in a vast network of AI data centers in France—potentially one of the largest AI infrastructure bets ever in Europe. The plans surfaced in late May as France prepared for its Choose France investment summit.

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son says the move should help turn France into a global AI hub. “Countries that build AI infrastructure will shape the future of technology, industry, and society,” Son said at the announcement.

The rollout will happen in stages. In phase one, SoftBank will commit roughly €45 billion to build AI data centers with 3.1 gigawatts of capacity. The sites are slated for northern France, including areas around Dunkirk, Bosquel, and Bouchain.

Total capacity could eventually reach 5 gigawatts—creating one of the world’s largest AI data center clusters. For context: that’s on par with the power draw of a major European city.

SoftBank is partnering with French utility EDF and infrastructure specialist Schneider Electric. EDF will provide former industrial and energy sites for redevelopment.

France operates one of the world’s largest nuclear fleets—an edge for AI data centers that consume enormous amounts of electricity to train and run advanced models.

The French government has long pushed to position the country as Europe’s AI center. President Emmanuel Macron is actively promoting investment in AI, chips, cloud infrastructure, and data centers. SoftBank’s move fits that playbook.

France also offers relatively stable energy prices and space for large-scale industrial builds—key for tech firms hunting for AI infrastructure locations.

The announcement underscores a shift in the global AI race from models and software to physical infrastructure: energy, chips, and compute.

Training large language models demands thousands of specialized AI chips and massive, always-on data centers. Reliable power and robust infrastructure are becoming core strategic levers.

Analysts see SoftBank’s bet as part of a broader push by nations to build domestic AI capacity. The United States, China, and multiple European countries are pouring tens of billions of euros into AI-related infrastructure.

The investment could significantly boost France’s standing in Europe’s tech sector. The continent trails the United States in AI compute and hyperscale data centers.

A project of this scale could give France a central role in European AI development—bringing jobs and capital while strengthening Europe’s technological autonomy.

For SoftBank, it’s a major expansion of its global AI strategy. The Japanese group is already investing billions in AI companies, chips, and infrastructure—doubling down on the foundations of the AI economy.

The planned €75 billion investment signals that AI infrastructure is becoming a strategic sector of national importance. Soon, leadership won’t hinge only on AI models, but on who controls the energy, data centers, and compute to power them.

With this move, France is staking a clear claim for leadership in Europe’s AI landscape.