SoftBank Group Corp. plans to invest as much as €75 billion ($87 billion) to build 5 gigawatts of artificial intelligence data center capacity in France. The company stated that the country is poised to become a top European hub for AI infrastructure.
The Japanese company's initial investment aims to deliver up to 3.1 gigawatts of computing capacity across France by 2031, with data centers planned for Dunkirk, Bosquel, and Bouchain. The firm's ultimate goal is to develop and operate up to 5 gigawatts of additional data center capacity.
Founder Masayoshi Son, 68, said the decision was made after meeting French President Emmanuel Macron during a visit to Tokyo in April. Son noted that France's status as an energy exporter played a key role in the decision, as data centers are huge consumers of energy.