The investment package, covering 71 projects and expected to create more than 15,600 jobs, was unveiled by President Emmanuel Macron at the 2026 edition of the summit in Versailles. The largest single commitment comes from Japanese technology investor SoftBank, which plans to invest an initial €45 billion in AI-focused data centre infrastructure across the Hauts-de-France region.
The first phase of the project will deliver 3.1GW of AI data centre capacity by 2031 across sites in Dunkirk, Bosquel and Bouchain. SoftBank has indicated that the programme could ultimately expand to €75 billion and 5GW of capacity through the development of additional sites elsewhere in France.
The investment represents the largest AI infrastructure commitment announced by SoftBank in Europe and forms part of a broader global strategy centred on AI compute, data centres and advanced digital infrastructure. The company has also invested heavily in OpenAI and is participating in large-scale AI infrastructure initiatives in the United States.
For France, the announcement is a significant endorsement of Macron’s strategy to leverage the country’s nuclear-powered electricity system as a competitive advantage in attracting AI workloads and hyperscale infrastructure. SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son said France’s position as a producer and exporter of energy was a decisive factor in the investment decision.
The project will involve partnerships with Schneider Electric and state-owned utility EDF. Schneider Electric is expected to provide modular infrastructure and equipment for the facilities, while EDF is contributing a former power plant site for redevelopment as a data centre campus.
The SoftBank announcement was one of several major AI-related investments unveiled during the summit. Other commitments included Brookfield increasing its AI infrastructure investment plans in France to €30 billion and Salesforce pledging €2 billion for its first European Union AI Innovation Hub in Paris.
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