SoftBank to invest €45B in AI data centers in France by 2031

SoftBank just committed €45 billion, roughly $52 billion, to building AI data centers in northern France over the next five years. That makes it the largest AI infrastructure project Europe has ever seen, and it’s only phase one.

The investment will fund 3.1 gigawatts of data center capacity across multiple sites in the Hauts-de-France region. SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son has been in talks with French President Emmanuel Macron since at least mid-May, reportedly discussing a potential total of $100 billion in French investments.

What SoftBank is actually building

The data centers will be spread across several locations, including Le Bosquel and Dunkirk, with the first facilities expected to come online by 2028. Full completion is targeted for 2031.

But the €45 billion figure is just the opening act. SoftBank’s total commitment stretches to €75 billion, approximately $87 billion, which would deliver 5 GW of capacity across additional sites including Bouchain.

The announcement came on May 30, 2026, timed to coincide with Macron’s Choose France summit, an annual event designed to attract foreign investment. Son’s presence at the summit wasn’t coincidental. This is a deal that both sides have been building toward for weeks, with the French government clearly eager to position the country as a serious contender in the global AI infrastructure race.

SoftBank’s annual net profit reportedly quadrupled to over $32 billion by mid-May 2026, driven largely by AI-related investments. The company has poured capital into firms like OpenAI and is clearly betting that the demand for AI compute will continue to grow exponentially.

Why France, and why now

France offers several advantages. Electricity costs are relatively competitive thanks to the country’s nuclear fleet. The Hauts-de-France region provides land, grid access, and a government that is visibly rolling out the red carpet.

What this means for investors

The energy implications are worth watching closely. Building 5 GW of data center capacity requires an enormous amount of electricity. France’s nuclear-heavy grid gives it an edge over countries reliant on natural gas or renewables that can’t yet deliver baseload power at scale.

One risk worth flagging: execution. Building 3.1 GW of data center capacity in five years is extraordinarily ambitious. Permitting delays, construction bottlenecks, and grid connection timelines have tripped up data center projects before. The 2028 target for first operations will be the first real test of whether this project can deliver on its timeline.

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