SoftBank plans 75 billion euros of AI investments in France, as Europe struggles to catch up with U.S. and China

Japan's SoftBank Group plans to invest 45 billion euros ($53 billion) over the next five years to build artificial intelligence infrastructure in France, the company said on Sunday.

The tech giant said the commitment is part of a 75-billion-euro program to roll out 5 GW of AI data center capacity in France.

Softbank said the initial phase of the plan involves building 3.1 GW of AI data centers in the northern Hauts-de-France region by 2031, including in Dunkirk, Bosquel and Bouchain.

"The commitment marks SoftBank Group's largest AI infrastructure investments in Europe," Softbank said in a statement. "It is designed to support the rapid growth of artificial intelligence by expanding access to high-performance compute capacity in France."

The investment plans are due to be formally announced on Monday.

"AI is entering a new era, and the countries that build the infrastructure for this transformation will shape the future of technology, industry and society," said Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son. "SoftBank is proud to make this major commitment to France. With its industrial capabilities, talent base and national ambition, France is uniquely positioned to become a leading AI infrastructure hub in Europe."

Softbank said it would partner with French engineering company Schneider Electric to develop a large-scale industrial production cluster in Dunkirk as part of the buildout.

Softbank's shares have risen more than 70% in 2026 so far on expectations its investments in AI infrastructure will reap big rewards.

The Japanese company's fortunes are closely tied to the AI boom through its stake in Arm Holdings, whose chip designs are used in AI servers and data centers powered by Nvidia systems, and its investments in OpenAI.

Softbank has plowed more than $30 billion into OpenAI, with its investment gains in the company totaling $45 billion in the year ended March.

Europe's high energy costs have become a major stumbling block in its bid to become a global AI super power, as the U.S. and China dominate the AI boom.

The region is looking to get ahead in the AI arms race by ramping up compute capacity and building out the critical infrastructure needed for the technology. But power-hungry data centers mean investments are particularly sensitive to the cost of energy, and Europe's prices are surging amid the U.S.-Iran war.

Data center projects are likely to migrate to parts of Europe with lower power costs, creating winners and losers across the continent, experts say.