SoftBank Plans 75 Billion Euros of AI Investments in France, as Europe Struggles to Catch up with U.S. and China
SoftBank said the plan is its largest AI infrastructure investment in Europe and includes 3.1 GW of data centers in the north by 2031.
- On Sunday, SoftBank Group announced plans to invest €45 billion over five years to build artificial intelligence infrastructure in France, part of a €75 billion program to roll out 5 GW of AI data center capacity.
- SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son aims to support rapid AI growth by expanding high-performance compute capacity, leveraging the company's stakes in Arm Holdings and OpenAI central to the global artificial intelligence boom.
- Partnering with French engineering company Schneider Electric, SoftBank will develop a large-scale industrial production cluster in Dunkirk, with the initial phase involving 3.1 GW of data centers in Hauts-de-France by 2031, including Bosquel and Bouchain.
- France is "uniquely positioned to become a leading AI infrastructure hub," SoftBank said, as CEO Masayoshi Son emphasized countries building this infrastructure "will shape the future of technology, industry and society."
- SoftBank shares have risen more than 70% in 2026 amid high expectations for AI investments, yet Europe's surging energy costs present challenges for power-hungry data centers, potentially influencing project locations.
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Japanese SoftBank is investing up to 75 billion euros in French AI data centers. The goal is to make Europe less dependent on artificial intelligence and computing power from the US.
Two days before the opening of the annual large gathering, the company specializing in new technologies said, on Sunday 31 May, that it would inject a massive sum to develop the infrastructure linked to AI.
SoftBank is investing €75 billion to build 5 gigawatts of AI data centres in France. It's Son's biggest European bet.
SoftBank plans to invest as much as €75 billion ($87 billion) to build 5 gigawatts of AI data centre capacity in France. It is the Japanese conglomerate’s biggest AI infrastructure commitment in Europe. CEO Masayoshi Son and President Emmanuel Macron are expected to formally announce the deal at the Choose France Summit this weekend. The […] This story continues at The Next Web
This spectacular announcement takes place on the eve of the ninth Choose France summit, Monday at the Château de Versailles.
SoftBank plans 75 billion euros of AI investments in France, as Europe struggles to catch up with U.S. and China
The Japanese tech giant plans to develop and operate 5 GW of AI data center capacity in France, with an initial 3.1 GW of facilities in the country's north.
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