The announcement represents SoftBank’s largest AI infrastructure commitment in Europe to date and aligns with broader efforts by European policymakers to expand domestic AI capabilities. France has emerged as a focal point for those ambitions, aided by its nuclear-powered electricity supply, available industrial sites, and government support for AI-related projects.
Masayoshi Son highlighted those advantages in announcing the investment. “With its industrial capabilities, talent base and national ambition, France is uniquely positioned to become a leading AI infrastructure hub in Europe,” he said.
The first sites included in the plan are located in Dunkirk, Bosquel, and Bouchain. Development will be carried out alongside local partners, including SB Energy.
As part of the broader initiative, SoftBank also announced a joint venture with French infrastructure company Sesterce. Under that arrangement, 1GW of the project’s planned capacity will be allocated to the Bosquel site.
French officials welcomed the investment as a boost to the country’s technology ambitions. France’s Economy, Finance, Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty Minister, Roland Lescure, said the project would support employment, digital infrastructure, and the country’s long-term technology goals.“We are proud to support an investment that creates jobs, strengthens our digital infrastructure and contributes to our goal of digital sovereignty,” Lescure said.
The France project adds to SoftBank’s expanding portfolio of AI infrastructure investments globally. The company has already backed a 10GW project in Ohio and a separate 5GW initiative in Abu Dhabi. SoftBank is also involved in OpenAI’s Project Stargate, which is currently under development in Abilene, Texas.
Alongside the infrastructure investment, SoftBank and its partners are establishing a €10 million fund intended to help local businesses, schools, universities, and community organizations adopt and better understand AI technologies.
The scale of the investment underscores the growing focus on physical infrastructure as AI adoption accelerates. As companies deploy increasingly compute-intensive models and applications, demand for large-scale data center capacity has become a critical component of long-term AI development strategies.
This analysis is based on reporting from TechRadar.
Image courtesy of mezha.net
This article was generated with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy and quality.
