SoftBank Commits €75 Billion to Build Major Data Centre Network Across France

Cyprus Business Group  ·  31 May 2026  ·  3 min read

A landmark commitment to European AI infrastructure

Japanese technology and investment giant SoftBank Group has unveiled plans to channel as much as €75 billion — approximately $87 billion — into expanding data centre capacity throughout France. The initiative, described by the company as its single largest AI infrastructure commitment on the European continent, targets the development and operation of up to 5 gigawatts of new capacity.

Phase one: Hauts-de-France takes centre stage

The first tranche of construction will focus on three sites in northern France — Dunkirk (Loon-Plage), Bosquel, and Bouchain — with a combined delivery target of 3.1 gigawatts for the Hauts-de-France region. SoftBank has set 2031 as the completion date for this initial phase, signalling a long-term commitment rather than a short-term speculative play.

France positions itself as an AI destination

The announcement landed with considerable political weight in Paris. French economic minister Roland Lescure welcomed the investment, stating it was:

“A testament to President Emmanuel Macron’s ambition to position France as a leading destination all along the AI value chain.”

France has been actively courting large-scale technology investment as part of a broader national strategy to anchor AI leadership within Europe, and SoftBank’s commitment lends considerable credibility to that ambition.

SoftBank’s ties to OpenAI add strategic depth

The move carries added significance given SoftBank’s dual role as both an investor in and a client of OpenAI. The group’s deepening involvement in AI infrastructure — rather than AI application alone — points to a strategic view that the underlying compute layer is as valuable as the software built on top of it.

A contrasting backdrop in the United States

While SoftBank accelerates in Europe, its ambitions in the United States are unfolding against a more contentious backdrop. Public opposition to data centre construction in North America has grown notably, driven by environmental concerns and questions over the strain such facilities place on electricity grids and consumer utility costs. Nonetheless, SoftBank has pressed ahead, having separately announced plans to develop a large-scale data centre in Ohio — to be powered by a new 9.2 gigawatt natural gas plant.

The contrast illustrates an emerging dynamic in global AI infrastructure: European nations, with France prominently among them, are competing aggressively for capital that faces friction at home in the United States.

Author: Din Kumar