SoftBank Group plans to invest up to 75 billion euros ($87.50 billion) to build and operate 5 gigawatts of artificial intelligence data center capacity in France, marking one of the largest AI infrastructure commitments in Europe.
The announcement, made as part of President Emmanuel Macron's Choose France investment initiative, includes an initial investment of 45 billion euros to develop 3.1 GW of AI data center capacity in the Hauts-de-France region by 2031.
SoftBank said the first phase would include facilities in Dunkirk, Bosquel and Bouchain, with additional sites planned across France as demand for AI computing power accelerates.
The company said the investment would support AI firms, cloud providers, enterprises and research organizations seeking high-performance computing capacity.
SoftBank also announced a partnership with Schneider Electric to establish an industrial production cluster at the Port of Dunkirk to manufacture data center components and power modules, aiming to strengthen Europe's AI infrastructure supply chain.
The company said the project is expected to create thousands of skilled jobs and support research and development partnerships with French universities and engineering schools.
