According to reports from Bloomberg, SoftBank Group Corp. has officially committed up to €75 billion to develop 5 gigawatts of artificial intelligence data center capacity in France, marking its largest AI infrastructure investment in Europe. The pledge was announced at the 2026 Choose France summit in Paris, where President Emmanuel Macron secured commitments of tens of billions in foreign investment. As reported by La Tribune, SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son cited the investment as part of a broader buildout of AI infrastructure by the company, framing the move as part of AI's next phase where countries building infrastructure will shape the future of technology. The commitment, which SoftBank called its biggest AI infrastructure investments in Europe, reflects personal diplomacy between Macron and Son, who met during the French president's visit to Japan this year.
The investment will be implemented through a phased buildout across the Hauts-de-France region, with the first phase covering €45 billion to deliver 3.1 GW of capacity across three sites by 2031. SoftBank plans to add further locations across France as the program extends toward the full 5 GW target, working with SB Energy and other strategic partners on development. The company expects the program to generate thousands of jobs in engineering, robotics, energy systems, and operations, while also establishing research partnerships with local universities and training institutions. The initial investment plans to deliver data centers in Dunkirk, Bosquel, and Bouchain, with SoftBank also planning to develop additional sites across France to reinforce the country's role as a leading European hub for next-generation digital infrastructure.
SoftBank will co-develop a manufacturing cluster with Schneider Electric at the Port of Dunkirk, with the site housing two facilities - one operated by SoftBank to produce data center enclosures and the other run by Schneider Electric to assemble power modules. Schneider Electric SE confirmed its partnership in Dunkirk, aiming to create a hub for AI infrastructure and robotics manufacturing at a site well located to serve customers in London, Brussels and Amsterdam. Both companies aim to build a more localized and resilient supply chain for AI hardware across France and Europe. Additionally, EDF will support the Bouchain data center site by supplying low-carbon electricity from a repurposed former industrial asset, providing access to sovereign clean power as AI energy consumption projections continue to climb.
As reported by La Tribune, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed the investment idea during a recent meeting with SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son in Tokyo, with Son expressing being impressed by Macron's personal commitment to ensuring France's economic success. The announcement extends SoftBank's aggressive AI investment push, coming after the firm pivoted away from blockchain and signaled an expanded AI venture strategy in recent quarters. With AI venture funding reaching $242 billion in Q1 2026 alone, Europe's AI infrastructure buildout is moving rapidly, and France is positioning itself early to anchor the continent's computing capacity. Macron has been an outspoken proponent of countries beyond the US and China building their own AI infrastructure, championing the idea of sovereign AI and investment in local players such as Mistral AI so nations can control their data and technology.
