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- €75 billion SoftBank investment will enable up to 5GW of data center capacity
- French nuclear energy, land availability and government policies cited as key drivers
- Local joint venture will create a 1GW facility and give locals €10 million in AI support
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son has pledged €75 billion/$87 billion to build what could become Europe's biggest AI infrastructure project, which would include a network of data centers across France.
Besides being SoftBank's biggest AI infrastructure investment in Europe to date, it also marks a major step forward for the EU as part of its effort to promote home-grown infrastructure and to reduce its reliance on US Big Tech.
The project as a whole will target 5GW of capacity, with the first phase accounting for around 3.1GW by 2031 in Hauts-de-France, at the cost of €45 billion.
SoftBank pledges €75 billion to support French data center buildout
Masayoshi Son has previously spoken out about the potential to build data centers in France, noting the country's abundance of low-carbon nuclear power. French President Emmanuel Macron has also been pushing France hard on the European AI agenda, citing its energy generation potential, the availability of existing industrial land and the government's support, which includes quick permitting processes for AI projects.
However, SoftBank isn't betting exclusively on France, having already backed a 10GW project in Ohio and another 5GW project in Abu Dhabi. It's also one of the contributors behind OpenAI's Project Stargate, which is already underway with the Abilene, Texas facility.
"With its industrial capabilities, talent base and national ambition, France is uniquely positioned to become a leading AI infrastructure hub in Europe," Masayoshi San said.
Dunkirk, Bosquel and Bouchain will become the first French sites under the plans, carried out alongside local partners like SB Energy.
France's Economy, Finance, & Industrial, Energy, & Digital Sovereignty Minister, Roland Lescure, welcomed the investment: "We are proud to support an investment that creates jobs, strengthens our digital infrastructure and contributes to our goal of digital sovereignty."
Also as part of the announcement, SoftBank revealed a joint venture with French infrastructure company Sesterce, under which it would allocate 1GW of the above 5GW capacity to the Bosquel site.
Under this, a €10 million fund has been made available to support local businesses, schools, universities and community organizations get to grips with AI.
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