SoftBank plans 75 billion euros of AI investments in France
SoftBank plans 75 billion euros of AI investments in France
Publish Date: 2026-05-31 03:26:00
Source Domain: www.cnbc.com
- SoftBank Group announced a commitment to invest €45 billion over the next five years to build artificial intelligence infrastructure in France as part of a larger €75 billion program across Europe.
- The aim is to establish 5 GW of AI data center capacity in France, starting with 3.1 GW in the Hauts-de-France region by 2031, particularly in Dunkirk, Bosquel, and Bouchain.
- This investment is set to be SoftBank Group’s largest AI infrastructure investment in Europe and is intended to support the growth of artificial intelligence by providing high-performance compute capacity.
- SoftBank highlights France’s potential to become a leading AI infrastructure hub in Europe due to its industrial capabilities, talent base, and national ambition.
- SoftBank plans to partner with French engineering company Schneider Electric to develop a large industrial production cluster as part of this infrastructure buildout.
- SoftBank’s investments in AI infrastructure have led to a significant increase in its stock price, up more than 70% in 2026 to date.
- The company’s stakes in AI-related firms emphasize its deep involvement in the artificial intelligence boom; specifically, it has invested over $30 billion in OpenAI and its gains from this investment exceeded $45 billion by March of the same year.
- The European AI infrastructure development faces challenges due to high energy costs in the region, contrasting with lower power costs in parts of Europe which could attract data center projects.
