SoftBank Pledges up to €75B for 5 GW AI Hubs in France

SoftBank Group has committed up to €75 billion to develop 5 gigawatts of artificial intelligence data center capacity in France. The company said the program will begin with a €45 billion first phase to deliver 3.1 GW across three sites in the Hauts-de-France region by 2031, with additional sites to be added to reach the full 5 GW target.

The announcement was made at the 2026 Choose France summit in Paris, where President Emmanuel Macron secured tens of billions in foreign investment. SoftBank cited France’s low-carbon electricity grid, available industrial land and engineering talent as factors in its selection and said it will expand the program to other regions of the country as development continues.

SoftBank plans to work with SB Energy and other strategic partners on site development. At the Port of Dunkirk, the company will co-develop a manufacturing cluster with Schneider Electric that will include two adjacent facilities: one operated by SoftBank to produce data center enclosures and a second run by Schneider Electric to assemble power modules.

EDF will provide low-carbon electricity to the Bouchain data center site by repurposing a former industrial asset to supply power. The companies described the arrangements as part of the project’s infrastructure and supply chain plan for the initial buildout.

SoftBank expects the program to create thousands of jobs across engineering, robotics, energy systems and operations. The company plans research partnerships with local universities and training institutions to support technical training and collaboration related to the new facilities.

Masayoshi Son, SoftBank’s chairman and chief executive, called the investment part of a global infrastructure push and commented, “AI is entering a new era, and the countries that build the infrastructure for this transformation will shape the future of technology, industry and society. France is uniquely positioned to become a leading AI infrastructure hub in Europe.”

The announcement follows SoftBank’s recent strategic shift away from blockchain and aligns with its expanded focus on AI ventures. Venture funding for AI has risen sharply, with Q1 2026 funding reaching roughly $242 billion, reflecting increased investment in computing capacity worldwide.

France’s government described the project as a way to anchor continental computing capacity and attract further industrial investment. The initial three Hauts-de-France sites are scheduled for delivery by 2031, and SoftBank said it will add further locations to achieve the program’s 5 GW goal.