By JBizNews Desk
June 2, 2026
PARIS — Europe landed one of the largest artificial-intelligence infrastructure commitments in its history Monday as SoftBank Group founder and CEO Masayoshi Son joined French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to announce plans to invest up to €75 billion ($87 billion) in AI data centers across France.
The commitment, one of the largest technology infrastructure investments ever announced on the continent, is designed to establish France as a leading European hub for artificial intelligence computing power at a time when governments and corporations worldwide are racing to secure the infrastructure needed to support next-generation AI systems.
According to details released Monday, the project will ultimately create approximately 5 gigawatts of AI-focused data-center capacity, a scale that rivals some of the largest computing developments currently underway in the United States.
The first phase alone will involve roughly €45 billion in investment and deliver approximately 3.1 gigawatts of capacity by 2031.
The initial buildout will focus on the Hauts-de-France region in northern France, with major facilities planned in Dunkirk, Bosquel, and Bouchain.
The announcement marks SoftBank’s largest AI infrastructure investment in Europe and further expands the Japanese technology giant’s increasingly aggressive commitment to artificial intelligence.
Speaking alongside Macron, Son described the project as part of a broader transformation that he believes will fundamentally reshape the global economy.
The SoftBank founder has repeatedly argued that artificial intelligence represents a technological revolution far larger than previous computing cycles, including the internet boom that transformed global markets during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The French project reflects that conviction.
Beyond constructing data centers, the investment will include manufacturing facilities, industrial infrastructure, and partnerships designed to create an integrated AI ecosystem capable of supporting cloud providers, AI developers, businesses, researchers, and public institutions.
One of the centerpiece components involves a strategic partnership with Schneider Electric, the French industrial technology company.
The two firms plan to establish a major industrial hub in Dunkirk where equipment essential to AI data centers—including power systems and infrastructure components—will be manufactured and assembled.
The project is expected to create thousands of construction jobs during the development phase and support long-term employment in engineering, operations, maintenance, manufacturing, and related industries.
For France, the announcement represents a major validation of President Macron’s effort to position the country as Europe’s leading destination for advanced technology investment.
The commitment was unveiled during the government’s annual “Choose France” investment summit, where Macron said the country expects approximately €93 billion in foreign investment commitments spanning technology, healthcare, transportation, semiconductors, critical minerals, and industrial manufacturing.
The timing is significant.
While the United States and China have dominated much of the global AI infrastructure race, European policymakers have increasingly expressed concern that the continent risks falling behind in the competition for computing capacity, talent, and investment.
Artificial intelligence requires enormous amounts of computing power, and that computing power depends on access to land, electricity, networking infrastructure, and capital.
France believes it possesses several advantages.
The country maintains one of Europe’s largest nuclear-power fleets, providing relatively stable and low-carbon electricity supplies. That matters because AI data centers have become some of the largest consumers of power in the modern economy.
Electricity costs have emerged as a major constraint on AI expansion across Europe.
Large AI facilities consume vast amounts of energy around the clock, making access to reliable power one of the industry’s most valuable strategic assets.
By locating major facilities in northern France, SoftBank is effectively betting that the country’s energy infrastructure can support long-term growth in AI computing demand.
Investors appeared encouraged by the announcement.
SoftBank shares rose approximately 14% Monday and have gained more than 70% during 2026, reflecting growing enthusiasm around the company’s AI-related investments.
The company has become deeply intertwined with the AI ecosystem through its ownership of Arm Holdings, its substantial investment in OpenAI, and a growing portfolio of AI-related infrastructure and technology assets.
Industry analysts view the French investment as part of a larger trend.
Around the world, countries are increasingly competing to attract AI infrastructure projects in much the same way they once competed for factories, ports, and industrial facilities.
Computing power is becoming a strategic resource.
Data centers, electrical capacity, semiconductor access, and AI talent are increasingly viewed as critical national assets capable of influencing future economic growth.
For France, the project offers the possibility of becoming Europe’s answer to the massive AI infrastructure expansion currently underway in the United States.
For SoftBank, it represents another major wager that demand for artificial intelligence will continue growing for years to come.
And for Europe as a whole, it sends a powerful signal that the continent intends to play a far larger role in the next phase of the global AI economy.
The competition for AI leadership is no longer taking place only between companies.
It is increasingly a competition between nations.
With €75 billion now committed to French AI infrastructure, Europe has made one of its biggest moves yet.
JBizNews Desk — Europe
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