SoftBank pledges €75B for Europe’s largest AI facility in France
The Japanese conglomerate is betting $87 billion on building 5 GW of AI data center capacity across northern France, marking its biggest infrastructure commitment outside the US.
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Add us on Google by Editorial Team May. 31, 2026SoftBank just wrote the biggest check Europe’s AI sector has ever seen. The Japanese conglomerate announced an investment of up to €75 billion ($87 billion) to develop and operate 5 GW of AI data center capacity in France, a project that dwarfs anything the continent has attracted in the artificial intelligence infrastructure race.
The announcement, made on May 30 just ahead of the Choose France summit, positions SoftBank as the single largest backer of AI infrastructure in Europe. It also happens to be the firm’s biggest commitment to AI infrastructure outside the United States.
AdvertisementWhat the buildout looks like
The project is split into phases. The first tranche dedicates €45 billion toward deploying 3.1 GW of capacity in the Hauts-de-France region by 2031. Three key sites have been identified: Dunkirk, Bosquel, and Bouchain, all clustered in northern France.
Dunkirk stands out as the flagship location. SoftBank will collaborate with Schneider Electric at the Dunkirk facility, integrating advanced manufacturing processes into the data center buildout.
Why France, and why now
The Choose France summit has become an annual showcase for mega-deals, giving President Macron a stage to demonstrate that Europe’s second-largest economy is open for business in ways that attract serious capital.
SoftBank holds stakes in OpenAI and has been aggressively building out infrastructure to support the next generation of AI models. The firm’s previous infrastructure commitments include a major data center in Ohio and participation in the Stargate initiative alongside OpenAI and Oracle.
What this means for investors
Schneider Electric’s involvement at the Dunkirk site is the most direct corporate beneficiary already named. The risk, as always with SoftBank, is execution. A €75 billion commitment spread over multiple years and phases gives SoftBank plenty of off-ramps if market conditions shift. Investors would be wise to watch whether the full 5 GW target materializes or whether the first €45 billion phase quietly becomes the entire project.
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