SoftBank to invest up to €75 billion to build 5 gigawatts of AI data center capacity in France

SoftBank said it will invest as much as €75 billion to build artificial intelligence data centers in France, a move that would make one of the biggest commitments yet to Europe’s AI infrastructure. The Japanese conglomerate said the plan is aimed at developing and operating up to 5 gigawatts of additional data center capacity, according to reports from Bloomberg and TechCrunch.

The first phase of the project calls for an initial €45 billion investment to deliver 3.1 gigawatts of capacity in France’s northern Hauts-de-France region by 2031, with sites planned in Dunkirk, Bosquel and Bouchain, according to SoftBank’s statement as reported by Fortune and Channel NewsAsia. Channel NewsAsia said the company described the project as the largest of its kind so far in Europe.

SoftBank also said it intends to expand beyond the initial sites, with additional locations planned across France over time. The company said this broader buildout is meant to reinforce France’s role as a leading European hub for next-generation digital infrastructure, as AI companies continue to compete for more computing power.

The project is notable because it brings together major industrial and energy players around a fast-growing need: the electricity-hungry infrastructure required to train and run AI systems. Channel NewsAsia reported that Schneider Electric will be a key partner on the project, while EDF, France’s state-owned nuclear energy company, is also involved and is handing over a former power-plant site for conversion into a data center.

SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son has argued that France’s energy position makes it an attractive location for AI investment, saying the country’s role as a producer and exporter of energy is “absolutely decisive,” according to Channel NewsAsia’s report. Fortune reported that Schneider Electric described the Dunkirk site as a potential hub for AI infrastructure and robotics manufacturing, serving customers across major European markets including London, Brussels and Amsterdam.

The announcement also fits SoftBank’s broader push into AI infrastructure at a time when global demand for data center capacity is rising quickly. For France, the investment could bring jobs, construction, and long-term technology spending, while strengthening its bid to become a major European center for AI development and computing power.