SoftBank Group plans to invest 45 billion euros over the next five years to build artificial intelligence infrastructure in France. The total program is valued at 75 billion euros and is designed to roll out 5 gigawatts of AI data center capacity across the country.
According to CNBC, the investment plans were set to be formally announced on Monday. The initial phase focuses on building 3.1 gigawatts of capacity in the northern Hauts-de-France region by 2031. Planned sites include Dunkirk, Bosquel, and Bouchain.
SoftBank described the commitment as its largest AI infrastructure investment in Europe. "The commitment marks SoftBank Group's largest AI infrastructure investments in Europe," the company 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."
CEO Masayoshi Son framed the announcement as a long-term bet on France's industrial and technological position. "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," Son said. "SoftBank is proud to make this major commitment to France. With its industrial capabilities, talent base and national ambition, France is uniquely positioned to become a leading AI infrastructure hub in Europe."
SoftBank said it would partner with French engineering company Schneider Electric to develop a large-scale industrial production cluster in Dunkirk as part of the buildout.
SoftBank's shares have climbed more than 70 percent in 2026 so far, driven by investor expectations that its AI infrastructure investments will generate significant returns. The company's fortunes are closely tied to the AI boom through its stake in Arm Holdings, whose chip designs are used in AI servers and data centers powered by Nvidia systems. SoftBank has also plowed more than 30 billion dollars into OpenAI, with investment gains in that company totaling 45 billion dollars in the year ended March.
The France investment comes as Europe struggles to keep pace with the United States and China in the global AI race. High energy costs across the continent have become a significant obstacle to building out the data center infrastructure the technology requires. Europe's energy prices have been rising, a trend complicated further by the ongoing U.S.-Iran war.
Experts say data center projects are likely to migrate toward parts of Europe with lower power costs, creating winners and losers across the continent. France's selection by SoftBank could position it as one of those winners, though the full 75-billion-euro program still depends on conditions playing out over several years.
The formal announcement is scheduled for Monday.
