SoftBank plans up to €75 billion investment in French AI centers

SoftBank Group Corp. plans to invest as much as €75 billion ($87 billion) to build 5 gigawatts of artificial intelligence data center capacity in France, saying the country is poised to become a top European hub for AI infrastructure.  

The first phase comprises an initial €45 billion investment to deliver 3.1 gigawatts of AI data center capacity in the Hauts-de-France region by 2031, SoftBank said Saturday in a statement. 

The commitment, which SoftBank called its biggest AI infrastructure investments in Europe, reflect personal diplomacy between Emmanuel Macron and SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son, who met during the French president’s visit to Japan this year.

Bloomberg has reported that Son floated the idea of SoftBank investing as much as $100 billion in France. The Japanese investor, who was used to fielding similar inquiries from company leaders, was intrigued by an approach made directly by a head of state and started reviewing the matter in earnest.

Read More: SoftBank in Talks for Major Data Center Project in France