SoftBank’s next big AI infrastructure bet is measured in gigawatts.
The Japanese technology group says it will develop and operate 5 GW of AI data center capacity in France, representing an investment of up to €75 billion.
The first phase targets 3.1 GW in the Hauts-de-France region by 2031, backed by an initial €45 billion investment.
What SoftBank plans to build
According to SoftBank’s announcement, the project is part of the 2026 Choose France summit hosted by President Emmanuel Macron and marks SoftBank Group’s largest AI infrastructure investment in Europe.
The first phase includes planned data centers in Dunkirk, Bosquel, and Bouchain. SoftBank said it also plans additional sites across France, though it has not named those locations or given a schedule for the remaining capacity beyond the first 3.1 GW.
SoftBank said the data centers are intended to support demand for high-performance computing from AI companies, cloud providers, enterprises, public institutions, and research organizations. That makes the project relevant for companies watching where European AI compute may be available, even if the capacity is still years away.
Among the first-phase sites, Bosquel has the most detail so far. A separate SoftBank announcement said that a majority-SoftBank-owned joint venture with Sesterce will develop and operate a 1 GW AI data center campus there.
The campus is expected to create 400 long-term skilled roles once operational and includes plans for a €10 million endowment fund to support AI adoption in local businesses, schools, universities, and community organizations.
SoftBank will also work with Schneider Electric at the Port of Dunkirk on an industrial production cluster for data center infrastructure. The cluster will include one SoftBank-operated facility for manufacturing enclosures and one Schneider Electric facility for integrating data center power modules.
Power, timing, and access are still open
The project is large, but it is not near-term capacity. SoftBank’s first phase is targeted for 2031, and the company has not published a schedule for the rest of the 5 GW program.
SoftBank also has not said how much of the capacity will be available to outside enterprise customers, hyperscalers, public-sector users, or research groups. Its announcement names the types of organizations the data centers are meant to support, but it does not disclose commercial access terms, anchor tenants, or pricing.
Energy access is another central piece. SoftBank quoted French officials emphasizing France’s electrical grid, low-carbon power, industrial land, engineering talent, and fast-tracked procedures for strategic projects. EDF is involved at Bouchain, and Dunkirk officials cited support from the French state and grid operator RTE for abundant, decarbonized electricity.
SoftBank’s financing and AI spending will also stay under scrutiny. The company has been raising capital for AI-related projects and OpenAI expansion, including asset sales and debt. SoftBank’s profit doubling also showed how much of the company’s recent performance has been tied to its OpenAI exposure.
For companies planning European AI workloads, the practical issue is timing. SoftBank’s France plan could become a major European AI compute hub, but buyers should not treat it as available capacity until site milestones, tenant terms, power allocations, and data governance details are disclosed.
SoftBank has named the investment size, the first-phase capacity, the initial sites, and the major partners. The next useful signals will be construction updates, customer-access details, and formal commitments on how the capacity will be sold or allocated.
Also read: Australia’s AI data center boom now accounts for 17% of private investment, showing how AI infrastructure demand is reshaping capital spending beyond the US and Europe.
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