SoftBank Group (TYO:9984) announced a plan to invest up to €75 billion (approximately $87.5 billion) to build and operate 5 GW of artificial‑intelligence (AI) data‑center capacity across France, representing one of the largest AI‑infrastructure commitments in Europe.
The investment will be rolled out in phases, with an initial €45 billion earmarked to develop 3.1 GW of capacity in the Hauts‑de‑France region, targeted for completion by 2031.
The first‑phase facilities will be located in Dunkirk, Bosquel, and Bouchain, with additional sites planned throughout the country as demand for AI computing power grows.
SoftBank has entered a partnership with Schneider Electric to establish an industrial production cluster at the Port of Dunkirk, dedicated to manufacturing data‑center components and power modules, thereby strengthening Europe’s AI‑infrastructure supply chain.
The project is positioned as part of President Emmanuel Macron’s “Choose France” investment initiative and is expected to create thousands of skilled jobs and support research‑and‑development collaborations with French universities and engineering schools.
