SoftBank commits €75 billion to build AI data centers in France, its largest European bet yet
13 Sources
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SoftBank says it will invest up to €75 billion to build French data centers
SoftBank Group announced today that it plans to spend up to €75 billion (around $87 billion) to expand data center capacity in France. The goal, the firm said, is to develop and operate up to 5 gigawatts of additional data center capacity. The first phase of the plan involves building data centers
[2]
SoftBank to spend up to $87 billion on French AI data centers -- country offers ample nuclear grid that US sites lack
SoftBank Group will commit as much as €75 billion ($87 billion) to build five gigawatts of AI data center capacity across France, with a first €45 billion ($52 billion) phase delivering 3.1GW in the northern Hauts-de-France region by 2031. The Japanese group called it its largest AI infrastructure
[3]
SoftBank to build up AI data centres in France with major investment
PARIS, May 30 (Reuters) - Japan's SoftBank Group (9984.T), opens new tab will invest €45 billion over the next five years in a push to build up artificial intelligence infrastructure in France, the company announced on Saturday. SoftBank said the investment, described as the biggest of its kind so
[4]
SoftBank to build up AI data centers in France with major investment
Japan's SoftBank Group will invest 45 billion euros ($53 billion) over the next five years in a push to build up artificial intelligence infrastructure in France, the company announced on Saturday. SoftBank said the investment, described as the biggest of its kind so far in Europe, would be made in
[5]
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
[6]
SoftBank plans up to €75 billion investment in French AI centers | Fortune
SoftBank Group Corp. plans to invest as much as €75 billion ($87 billion) to build 5 gigawatts of artificial intelligence data center capacity in France, saying the country is poised to become a top European hub for AI infrastructure. The first phase comprises an initial €45 billion investment to
[7]
SoftBank to spend $87.5bn on AI centres in France: Son
Paris (France) (AFP) - Japanese tech investor SoftBank will spend 75 billion euros ($87.5 billion) on artificial intelligence infrastructure in France, its founder Masayoshi Son told a French newspaper in an interview released Saturday. "This will be the largest investment in Europe in
[8]
SoftBank to invest €75 billion in 5 GW French AI centres
SoftBank Group is set to invest up to $87 billion in France to build 5 gigawatts of AI data center capacity, aiming to establish the country as a premier European AI infrastructure hub. The initial phase involves a $45 billion investment for 3.1 gigawatts by 2031, driven by personal diplomacy
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Emmanuel Macron Says Nebius, SoftBank Chose France As AI Commitments Reach $61.7 Billion; Son Says Infras
French President Emmanuel Macron Monday said in a post on X, the investments would create thousands of jobs and help establish the country as Europe's leading destination for AI infrastructure and development. One Of Europe's Largest AI Investment Waves SoftBank said it plans to invest an initial
[10]
SoftBank plans up to €75 billion investment in French AI centers
SoftBank Group plans to invest as much as €75 billion ($87 billion) to build 5 gigawatts of artificial intelligence data center capacity in France, saying the country is poised to become a top European hub for AI infrastructure. The first phase comprises an initial €45 billion investment to
[11]
SoftBank to spend $87.5 billion on AI centres in France: Son
Japanese tech investor SoftBank will spend 75 billion euros ($87.5 billion) on artificial intelligence infrastructure in France, its founder Masayoshi Son told a French newspaper in an interview released Saturday. "75 billion euros in total," Son told La Tribune Dimanche weekly ahead of a French
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SoftBank to invest up to €75 bln in French AI data centers By Investing.com
Investing.com-- SoftBank Group (TYO:9984) plans to invest up to 75 billion euros ($87.50 billion) to build and operate 5 gigawatts of artificial intelligence data center capacity in France, marking one of the largest AI infrastructure commitments in Europe. The announcement, made as part of
[13]
SoftBank to build up AI data centres in France with major investment
PARIS, May 30 (Reuters) - Japan's SoftBank Group will invest EUR45 billion over the next five years in a push to build up artificial intelligence infrastructure in France, founder Masayoshi Son told the paper La Tribune Dimanche in an interview published on Saturday. Son said the investment,
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SoftBank Group announced plans to invest up to €75 billion ($87 billion) to build 5 gigawatts of AI data center capacity across France. The Japanese conglomerate is leveraging France's nuclear-powered electricity grid to bypass the energy challenges plaguing U.S. data center projects, marking its biggest AI infrastructure investment in Europe.
SoftBank Group Investment in France Reaches €75 Billion
SoftBank Group has committed up to €75 billion ($87 billion) to expand AI data centers across France, marking the company's largest AI infrastructure investment in Europe to date
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. The ambitious plan targets building 5 gigawatts of data center capacity, with CEO Masayoshi Son and President Emmanuel Macron set to formalize the agreement at the Choose France Summit5
. The first phase involves a €45 billion ($52 billion) commitment to deliver 3.1 gigawatts across three sites in the Hauts-de-France region by 2031: Dunkirk (Loon-Plage), Bosquel, and Bouchain2
. French economic minister Roland Lescure described the announcement as a testament to positioning France as a leading destination along the AI value chain .
Source: Japan Times
The investment represents one of the largest single infrastructure commitments any country has received for AI, though it falls slightly short of the $100 billion figure Son reportedly floated during initial discussions
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. Only the €45 billion first phase and its 3.1 gigawatts constitute firm commitments, with additional sites described as plans for later stages2
.France's Nuclear-Powered Electricity Grid Proves Decisive
What distinguishes this France investment from SoftBank's other global projects is access to reliable, low-carbon energy. France draws roughly 70% of its power from nuclear reactors operated by state-owned utility EDF, making it the world's largest net electricity exporter with industrial power prices well under half the UK's
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. Son told La Tribune du Dimanche that France being a producer and exporter of energy was "absolutely decisive" for investments in AI infrastructure3
.
Source: TechCrunch
This stands in stark contrast to SoftBank's American plans. To power its planned 10-gigawatt data center in Ohio, the company must build its own energy generation infrastructure—a natural gas plant costing roughly $33 billion to generate approximately 9.2 gigawatts
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. France allows SoftBank to skip that step entirely and plug into an existing low-carbon nuclear power fleet, sidestepping the strained grids and rising local opposition slowing U.S. buildouts2
. EDF is contributing the Bouchain site, a former power plant, which it will hand over for conversion into French data center capacity2
.Strategic Partnerships Drive Vertical Integration
French engineering company Schneider Electric will serve as a key partner, equipping the sites with its power modules, though financial details were not disclosed
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. At the Port of Dunkirk, SoftBank and Schneider Electric plan to build an industrial cluster featuring two plants—one operated by SoftBank to manufacture enclosures and one run by Schneider to integrate data center power modules2
. This vertical integration approach extends SoftBank's existing capabilities across Arm, robotics, and its proprietary water-based data center batteries into prefabricated electrical equipment2
. The Dunkirk hub is strategically positioned to serve major European capitals including London, Brussels, and Amsterdam5
.Related Stories
Sovereign AI Policy Meets Personal Diplomacy
The deal reflects both strategic policy alignment and personal diplomacy between Son and Macron. Son told La Tribune he was "very impressed by the fact that Emmanuel Macron is so personally committed to ensuring France's economic success"
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. Macron approached Son directly during a visit to Japan earlier this year—an unusual move that intrigued Son, who typically fields inquiries from corporate leaders rather than heads of state5
.Macron has championed sovereign AI as a policy priority, arguing that countries beyond the U.S. and China must build their own infrastructure to control their data and technology
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. SoftBank's commitment validates this sovereign AI policy thesis at a scale no European government initiative has matched, dwarfing previous commitments from Microsoft, Google, and Amazon at past Choose France summits5
.
Source: Tom's Hardware
Financing Questions Shadow Ambitious Commitments
The French commitment adds to an extraordinary global AI infrastructure spending spree by SoftBank. The company has invested more than $30 billion in OpenAI for an approximately 11% stake
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, with some reports indicating the total exceeds $60 billion for roughly 13% ownership5
. SoftBank is also a partner in the $500 billion Stargate initiative with OpenAI, Oracle, and Abu Dhabi's MGX to build data centers across the U.S.5
.The cumulative scale of these commitments raises questions about financing capacity. SoftBank carries over $130 billion in debt and took a $40 billion bridge loan in March to fund its latest OpenAI investment
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. The company scaled back plans for a $10 billion margin loan backed by its OpenAI stake after facing hesitation from some creditors, with discussions targeting as low as $6 billion5
. Whether Son can tap enough capital to deliver on all of his AI ambitions simultaneously remains the question investors are watching most closely5
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