Japanese technology investment giant SoftBank Group has unveiled plans to pour as much as €75 billion (approximately $87 billion) into building new data center infrastructure across France, marking what the company calls its biggest AI infrastructure bet in Europe to date.
A Multi-Gigawatt Build-Out
The initiative targets the development and operation of up to 5 gigawatts of new data center capacity on French soil. Construction will kick off with three sites — in Dunkirk (Loon-Plage), Bosquel, and Bouchain — collectively designed to deliver 3.1 gigawatts of capacity to the Hauts-de-France region by 2031.
France Positions Itself as an AI Hub
French Economic Minister Roland Lescure welcomed the announcement, calling it evidence of President Emmanuel Macron’s strategy to establish France as a key player across the entire artificial intelligence value chain — from infrastructure to applications.
The investment adds significant weight to France’s broader effort to attract global technology capital as competition for AI infrastructure intensifies worldwide.
SoftBank’s Deepening AI Ties
SoftBank’s move is consistent with its dual role in the AI ecosystem: the firm is both a major financial backer and a paying customer of OpenAI, giving it strong incentive to build out the physical infrastructure that next-generation AI systems demand.
Contrast with U.S. Headwinds
The French announcement comes as data center projects in the United States face mounting resistance. Community groups and environmental advocates have raised concerns about their impact on local power grids, utility costs, and carbon footprints. Despite that friction, SoftBank is also pushing ahead with a large-scale U.S. project — a data center in Ohio backed by a newly planned 9.2-gigawatt natural gas power plant, representing a $33 billion commitment.
Key Takeaway
SoftBank’s French investment signals that Europe — and France in particular — is emerging as an increasingly attractive destination for hyperscale AI infrastructure, driven by political support, available land, and growing demand for sovereign AI computing capacity.
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