Record investment: Softbank is investing 75 billion euros in AI infrastructure in France

France presented itself as the AI ​​nation of the future at the AI ​​Action Summit in February 2025 at the latest. During the conference, French President Emmanuel Macron announced, among other things, that he wanted to invest 109 billion euros in the expansion of AI data centers.

Softbank is investing heavily in AI

A data center with a capacity of 1.4 gigawatts is expected to be built near Paris by the end of 2027. The billion-dollar project is being jointly financed by Nvidia, Mistral AI, the French development bank Bpifrance and the Abu Dhabi investment fund MGX, as Handelsblatt reported. An investment planned by Softbank in France’s AI infrastructure will be significantly larger.

As the Japanese tech group and major investor announced on May 30, 2026, a total of 75 billion euros will flow into French AI data centers. This will create a capacity of five gigawatts. Softbank wants to invest 45 billion euros alone in AI data centers with a capacity of 3.1 gigawatts, which will be located in the Hauts-de-France region in northern France.

Support rapid AI growth

For Softbank, it is the largest investment in AI infrastructure in Europe to date. The company’s primary goal: “support rapid AI growth by expanding access to high-performance computing capacity in France.”

Roland Lescure, France’s minister of economy, finance and the country’s industrial and digital sovereignty, said that the Softbank investment reflects “Macron’s commitment to positioning France as a leading destination along the entire AI value chain.”

Macron opens “Choose France” summit

Softbank’s announcement comes ahead of the 2026 edition of the “Choose France” economic summit launched by Macron, which opens on June 1, 2026. As part of this, over 200 corporate executives from around 50 countries come together with political decision-makers and representatives of the French economy. They should exchange ideas about possible projects and investments in the areas of AI and energy, according to the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

According to the so-called attractiveness barometer from the consulting agency EY, France was Europe’s most attractive location for foreign direct investment for the seventh time in a row in 2025. Investments in AI alone are said to have increased by 24 percent compared to the previous year.