SoftBank commits €75 billion to build AI data centers in France, Europe's largest AI investment

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 deliver 3.1 gigawatts of AI data center capacity in the Hauts-de-France region by 2031, SoftBank said Saturday in a statement. The commitment, which SoftBank called its biggest AI infrastructure investments in Europe, reflect personal diplomacy between Emmanuel Macron and SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son, who met during the French president's visit to Japan this year. Bloomberg has reported that Son floated the idea of SoftBank investing as much as $100 billion in France. The Japanese investor, who was used to fielding similar inquiries from company leaders, was intrigued by an approach made directly by a head of state and started reviewing the matter in earnest. "I 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," French outlet La Tribune cited Son as saying in an interview. SoftBank's initial investment plans to deliver data centers in Dunkirk, Bosquel and Bouchain. SoftBank also plans to develop additional sites across France, "reinforcing the country's role as a leading European hub for next-generation digital infrastructure," according to the company statement. Schneider Electric SE said it's set to be a partner in Dunkirk, with a goal of creating a hub for AI infrastructure and robotics manufacturing at a site well located to serve customers in London, Brussels and Amsterdam, Macron and Son are expected to formally announce the investment during the Choose France Summit, an annual gathering of industry leaders to attract investment and promote France's business appeal. The French plan follows SoftBank's announcement in March to launch a large-scale data center project in Ohio, potentially channeling $500 billion to install 10 gigawatts of capacity. It would be an AI computing complex powered with roughly $33 billion worth of natural gas-fired electricity. These undertakings come on top of a $500 billion Stargate initiative that SoftBank is working on in partnership with OpenAI, Oracle Corp. and Abu Dhabi's MGX to roll out data centers across the US. SoftBank has also committed to investing more than $60 billion in OpenAI for a stake of about 13%. The efforts highlight Son's growing ambitions to secure data center bases in major locations across the globe as AI companies race to acquire sufficient computing power and meet rising demand for their services. For SoftBank, the new ventures may help broaden its sources of AI-related revenue beyond ChatGPT. There are questions about whether Son can tap enough financing to realize all of his AI ambitions. SoftBank scaled back plans for a $10 billion margin loan backed by the OpenAI stake after facing hesitation from some creditors, Bloomberg reported. The Japanese conglomerate and bankers helping it seek the loan have mentioned targeting an amount as low as $6 billion. Macron has been an outspoken proponent of countries beyond the US and China building their own AI infrastructure, championing the idea of sovereign AI and investment in local players such as Mistral AI so nations can control their data and technology.

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 infrastructure related to artificial intelligence: 75 billion euros in total," Son told La Tribune Dimanche weekly ahead of a French investment conference hosted by President Emmanuel Macron. He said it included 45 billion euros to be spent by 2031 on data centres in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. French electrics giant Schneider will be a partner in the huge project, its chief executive Olivier Blum told AFP. "This is a significant partnership, a major project, the largest ever undertaken in France" in the sector, said Blum. "Up to now, there is roughly 1.5 gigawatts of installed data centre capacity in France at the end of 2025, and what's being announced now is that there will be an initial phase of 3.0 gigawatts followed by a second phase that could reach up to 5.0," he added. The announcement is a major boost to Macron's efforts to attract hi-tech industries to France, in competition with other European nations. Energy exporter Macron is to host an international investment conference at Versailles palace from Monday. Son, 68, said his decision was made after meeting Macron during a visit to Tokyo in April and that France's status as an energy exporter had played a key role. Data centres are huge consumers of energy. "The fact that the country is an energy producer and exporter is absolutely crucial for infrastructure investments in artificial intelligence, especially for data centres," said Son, whose company has an 11-percent stake in the OpenAI giant that runs the ChatGPT chatbot. The Japanese tycoon said he had also been impressed by Macron's "strong personal commitment to ensuring France's economic success, even though our investments have so far been concentrated primarily in the United States, and Japan and Asia". Blum said that Schneider would take part in the design and supply of all the equipment with a factory to be built at the channel port of Dunkirk. The first three data centres would be at Dunkirk and near the northern cities of Cambrai and Amiens, he added. France says it has 35 venues ready to provide enough energy and other infrastructure for data centres. Macron has repeatedly said that Europe must not let the United States and China take an insurmountable lead in AI. Son said that "catching up with the United States, currently the global centre of gravity for innovation, is a challenge for most other countries". Europe must, he added in the interview with Tribune, "find the right path" to reach a "balance" between innovation and regulation.

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 investment conference hosted by President Emmanuel Macron. 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 infrastructure related to artificial intelligence: 75 billion euros in total," Son told La Tribune Dimanche weekly ahead of a French investment conference hosted by President Emmanuel Macron. He said it included 45 billion euros to be spent by 2031 on data centres in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. French electrics giant Schneider will be a partner in the huge project, its chief executive Olivier Blum told AFP. "This is a significant partnership, a major project, the largest ever undertaken in France" in the sector, said Blum. "Up to now, there is roughly 1.5 gigawatts of installed data centre capacity in France at the end of 2025, and what's being announced now is that there will be an initial phase of 3.0 gigawatts followed by a second phase that could reach up to 5.0," he added. The announcement is a major boost to Macron's efforts to attract hi-tech industries to France, in competition with other European nations. Energy exporter Macron is to host an international investment conference at Versailles palace from Monday. Son, 68, said his decision was made after meeting Macron during a visit to Tokyo in April and that France's status as an energy exporter had played a key role. Data centres are huge consumers of energy. "The fact that the country is an energy producer and exporter is absolutely crucial for infrastructure investments in artificial intelligence, especially for data centres," said Son, whose company has an 11-percent stake in the OpenAI giant that runs the ChatGPT chatbot. The Japanese tycoon said he had also been impressed by Macron's "strong personal commitment to ensuring France's economic success, even though our investments have so far been concentrated primarily in the United States, and Japan and Asia". Blum said that Schneider would take part in the design and supply of all the equipment with a factory to be built at the channel port of Dunkirk. The first three data centres would be at Dunkirk and near the northern cities of Cambrai and Amiens, he added. France says it has 35 venues ready to provide enough energy and other infrastructure for data centres. Macron has repeatedly said that Europe must not let the United States and China take an insurmountable lead in AI. Son said that "catching up with the United States, currently the global centre of gravity for innovation, is a challenge for most other countries". Europe must, he added in the interview with Tribune, "find the right path" to reach a "balance" between innovation and regulation.

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, described as the biggest of its kind so far in Europe, would be made in the northern Hauts-de-France region. The overall sum SoftBank intends to invest in France will reach EUR75 billion, Son said. The investment plans are due to be formally announced on Monday at the annual Choose France business conference. According to La Tribune Dimanche, two sites for data centres at Le Bosquel and Dunkirk are expected to come into operation in 2028 and 2031 respectively, providing together more than 5 gigawatts of computing capacity. "The fact that the country is a producer and exporter of energy is absolutely decisive for investments in AI infrastructure," Son said when asked why he picked France. The French commitment adds to a global AI infrastructure spending spree by SoftBank. Its investments in AI also include over $30 billion invested in OpenAI so far, for about an 11% stake. France has been using the Choose France summit to court foreign investors since it was launched by President Emmanuel Macron in 2018. (reporting by Tassilo HummelEditing by Tomasz Janowski)