SoftBank revealed plans to invest $87.3B in AI infrastructure in France, targeting the development of 5 gigawatts of data center capacity.
The Japan-based conglomerate said on May 31 that the investment will consist of an initial $53 billion over the next five years, delivering 3.1 gigawatts of AI data center capacity in the Hauts-de-France region by 2031.
This outlay will include data centers in Loon-Plage, Bosquel and Bouchain.
SoftBank Group will work with SB Energy and other strategic partners to develop the projects.
Full details on the investment are expected to be formally announced on Monday at the Choose France business conference.
“The commitment marks SoftBank Group’s largest AI infrastructure investments in Europe,” SoftBank said in a statement. “It is designed to support the rapid growth of artificial intelligence by expanding access to high-performance compute capacity in France.”
SoftBank also said it will partner with French companies EDF for the Bouchain data center and Schneider Electric to help create a large-scale industrial production cluster at the Port of Dunkirk.
The companies will pair SoftBank Group’s robotics and automation capabilities with Schneider Electric’s industrial expertise and local supply chain network to accelerate the rollout of next-generation AI data centers at scale.
Beyond supporting AI infrastructure, the project is intended to strengthen Dunkirk’s position as a center for robotics, advanced manufacturing and industrial innovation.
The funding is the latest in SoftBank’s global AI investment push. In February this year, the company invested $30 billion in OpenAI, bringing its total investment in the AI vendor to more than $40 billion.
SoftBank is also a major partner in Stargate, the large-scale AI infrastructure initiative with OpenAI and other partners aimed at building hyperscale AI compute capacity in the U.S.
The latest funding also comes amid rising investment interest in Europe, as the region looks to compete with Chinese and U.S. dominance in AI infrastructure
“AI is entering a new era, and the countries that build the infrastructure for this transformation will shape the future of technology, industry and society,” SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said in a statement. “With its industrial capabilities, talent base and national ambition, France is uniquely positioned to become a leading AI infrastructure hub in Europe.”
