SoftBank Group has committed up to €75 billion to build 5 gigawatts of AI data center capacity in France — its largest AI infrastructure investment in Europe to date. The first phase, worth €45 billion, aims to deliver 3.1 GW across three sites in the Hauts-de-France region by 2031. The Japanese conglomerate cited France's low-carbon electricity grid, availability of industrial land, and engineering talent as the main reasons for choosing the country.
Why France won the deal
France's energy mix is among the cleanest in Europe, with nuclear and renewables supplying most of its power. That matters for AI data centers, which consume huge amounts of electricity and face growing pressure to cut emissions. SoftBank also pointed to the region's industrial land — large plots near ports and power infrastructure that can be developed quickly — and a deep pool of engineers. The company plans to co-develop a manufacturing cluster with Schneider Electric at the Port of Dunkirk, producing data center enclosures and power modules locally.
The first phase: three sites and a factory
The initial €45 billion tranche will fund 3.1 GW of capacity spread across three sites in Hauts-de-France. One of those sites, in Bouchain, will get low-carbon electricity from EDF, which is repurposing an old industrial asset to supply the facility. The Dunkirk cluster with Schneider Electric is expected to turn the port into a production hub for the physical gear that goes into data centers — enclosures, power distribution systems, and cooling modules. SoftBank said the project will create thousands of jobs in engineering, robotics, energy systems, and operations.
Jobs and training on the ground
Beyond construction and manufacturing, SoftBank plans to establish research partnerships with local universities and training institutions. The idea is to build a pipeline of workers skilled in AI infrastructure — not just for SoftBank's own projects but for the broader European market. The company hasn't disclosed exact job numbers for each site, but it described the total as “thousands of roles across multiple disciplines.”
SoftBank's bet comes as global AI venture funding hit $242 billion in the first quarter of 2026 alone, accelerating a wave of infrastructure spending in Europe. France has been aggressively courting tech investment, offering streamlined permits and access to cheap, low-carbon power. The country now has one of the fastest-growing data center markets in Europe, and this deal cements its place as a hub for AI compute capacity.
What remains unclear is how quickly the first 3.1 GW will come online — 2031 is still five years away — and whether the remaining €30 billion for the full 5 GW will follow the same timeline. SoftBank has not announced a schedule for the later phase. The company is also facing questions about how it will source the massive amounts of hardware needed, from GPUs to power transformers, at a time when global supply chains are stretched.
