SoftBank Group plans to invest up to €75 billion (about $87 billion) to establish 5 gigawatts of AI data center capacity across France by 2031 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. The first phase will see a €45 billion investment to build 3.1 gigawatts in the Hauts-de-France region, including data centers in Dunkirk, Bosquel, and Bouchain [2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9].
The project aims to position France as a leading AI infrastructure hub in Europe by leveraging the country's industrial expertise, skilled workforce, and national ambition, SoftBank said. CEO Masayoshi Son stated, "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. SoftBank is proud to make this major commitment to France. With its industrial capabilities, talent base and national ambition, France is uniquely positioned to become a leading AI infrastructure hub in Europe" [8].
Son highlighted France’s energy profile as a key factor, noting, "The fact that the country is an energy producer and exporter is absolutely crucial for infrastructure investments in artificial intelligence, especially for data centres" [9]. The country’s relatively low-cost, nuclear-heavy energy mix addresses one of Europe’s main challenges in powering energy-intensive AI data centers [4, 8, 10, 9].
The investment builds on personal diplomacy between Son and French President Emmanuel Macron, who met during Macron’s visit to Tokyo in April 2026. Son said he was "very impressed by the fact that Emmanuel Macron is so personally committed to ensuring France’s economic success, even though our investments have so far been concentrated mainly in the US, as well as in Japan and Asia" [3, 7, 9]. French Economic Minister Roland Lescure called it "a testament to President Emmanuel Macron’s ambition to position France as a leading destination all along the AI value chain" [5].
Schneider Electric is a key partner, especially at the Dunkirk site, contributing to AI infrastructure and robotics manufacturing efforts. CEO Olivier Blum described it as "a significant partnership, a major project, the largest ever undertaken in France in the sector" [3, 7, 8, 9].
France had about 1.5 gigawatts of installed data center capacity at the end of 2025, making this expansion substantial [9]. SoftBank also has a separate $33 billion AI data center project underway in Ohio, US, planned to deliver 10 gigawatts of capacity [3, 7, 8].
SoftBank publicly announced the French investment plan on May 30, 2026. The company aims to complete the first phase delivering 3.1 gigawatts of capacity in Hauts-de-France by 2031 [2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8].
