SoftBank invests billions in AI data centers in France

SoftBank, a Japanese holding company, plans to build several AI data centers in France. According to the company, they are to have a total capacity of up to five gigawatts. In the first expansion phase, investments of around 45 billion euros are planned by 2031, with a total of up to 75 billion euros.

Distributed across several locations

The data centers with a capacity of 3.1 gigawatts are to be built in the Hauts-de-France region, including in Dunkirk, Bosquel, and Bouchain. In Dunkirk, a production cluster for data center components will also be created together with Schneider Electric. At the Bosquel site, SoftBank is working with the French start-up Sesterce to build an AI factory that combines computing power, energy supply, and local industrial partnerships.

According to a SoftBank press release, this is the company's largest AI infrastructure investment in Europe to date. For comparison: The total AI-related data center capacity worldwide is around 44 gigawatts, although the figures vary greatly depending on the definition.

The France plans are part of SoftBank's broader infrastructure strategy. The company is also involved in numerous AI projects outside of Europe, including in Abu Dhabi, Japan, Great Britain, and South Korea. SoftBank is also a key player in the American infrastructure project “Stargate” and is considered one of OpenAI's largest investors.

The announcement was made during the “Choose France” investment summit initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron. The French government emphasizes advantages such as access to the European electricity grid, an existing technology ecosystem, and accelerated approval processes. Mistral, one of the few European AI companies currently developing its own powerful foundation models, is also located here.

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son described France as ideally positioned for building a European AI infrastructure hub.

(rie)