SoftBank bets €75bn on France to spark Europe’s AI infrastructure hub

SoftBank has pledged up to €75bn to build a Europe‑largest network of AI computing clusters in France, starting with 3.1GW in Hauts‑de‑France by 2031 and a second 2GW phase, anchored by a Dunkirk facility with Schneider Electric. A full 5GW complex would cost about €75bn and be financed mainly through debt-based project finance, marking the center of Masayoshi Son’s AI infra push alongside OpenAI investments. The plan aims to position France as Europe’s AI infrastructure hub as Macron promotes Choose France, even as Europe lags the US and China in data‑centre development.