{"id":25563,"date":"2026-07-02T13:22:45","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T12:22:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/?p=25563"},"modified":"2026-07-02T13:23:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T12:23:08","slug":"softbank-group-to-build-5-gw-of-ai-data-center-capacity-in-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/?p=25563","title":{"rendered":"SoftBank Group to build 5 GW of AI data center capacity in France"},"content":{"rendered":"

Major investment to strengthen France\u2019s AI infrastructure, support European technological sovereignty and anchor advanced data center manufacturing in Dunkirk with Schneider Electric<\/strong><\/p>\n

SoftBank Group Corp. announced its commitment to develop and operate 5 GW of AI data center capacity in France, representing an investment of up to \u20ac75 billion. The first phase, comprising an initial \u20ac45 billion investment to deliver 3.1 GW of AI data center capacity in the Hauts-de-France region, is part of the 2026 Choose France summit hosted by President Emmanuel Macron.
\nThe commitment marks SoftBank Group\u2019s largest AI infrastructure investments in Europe. It is designed to support the rapid growth of artificial intelligence by expanding access to high-performance compute capacity in France.
\nMasayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO, SoftBank Group Corp., said: 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,\u201d said Masayoshi Son. \u201cSoftBank 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.\u201d
\nThe first phase includes plans to deliver 3.1 GW of AI data center capacity in the Hauts-de-France region by 2031, with data centers in Dunkirk (Loon-Plage), Bosquel and Bouchain. SoftBank Group also plans to develop additional sites across France, reinforcing the country\u2019s role as a leading European hub for next-generation digital infrastructure. SoftBank Group will work with SB Energy and other strategic partners to develop the projects.
\nRoland Lescure, Minister of Economy, Finance, & Industrial, Energy, & Digital Sovereignty), said: \u201cSoftBank\u2019s decision to invest massively in AI datacenters in France – a first for the group in Europe – is testament to President Emmanuel Macron\u2019s ambition to position France as a leading destination all along the AI value chain. It reflects our country\u2019s substantial assets: fast access to the most reliable electrical grid in Europe, a strong digital and industrial ecosystem with a skilled workforce, and a government that works in unison with local authorities and stakeholders to fast track procedures for strategic projects. By partnering with leading French companies EDF on the Bouchain data center, and Schneider Electric for a robotized plant, SoftBank displays a long-term commitment to building the future of an industry-centric AI in France. We are proud to support an investment that creates jobs, strengthens our digital infrastructure and contributes to our goal of digital sovereignty.\u201d
\nBernard Fontana, Chairman and CEO of EDF, said: \u201cThe project selected for the Bouchain site demonstrates France\u2019s ability to host large-scale digital infrastructure, supported by competitive, sovereign and low-carbon electricity. It reflects EDF\u2019s commitment to selecting projects that combine industrial excellence, high environmental standards and long-term value creation for local communities, while giving a new purpose to its former industrial sites.\u201d
\nMaurice Georges, CEO of the Port of Dunkirk and Patrice Vergriete, Chairman of the Dunkirk Urban Council and Mayor of Dunkirk, said: \u201cDunkirk Urban Community and Port of Dunkirk Authority warmly welcome this major industrial project, which demonstrates Dunkirk\u2019s attractiveness and validates the substantial investments made to support reindustrialisation. The result of close collaboration between Port of Dunkirk Authority, Business France and local stakeholders, and made possible by the strong commitment of the State and RTE to abundant, decarbonised electricity, this project marks a significant milestone in Dunkirk\u2019s strategy to become a leading hub for the digital economy. It comes alongside an ongoing competitive tender process for a state-of-the-art data centre at the Port of Dunkirk\u2019s Western Harbour. The Hauts-de-France Region continues to position itself at the forefront of sustainable industrial development, combining competitiveness, innovation and environmental responsibility.\u201d
\nSoftBank Group\u2019s AI data centers will support growing demand for high-performance computing from AI companies, cloud providers, enterprises, public institutions and research organizations. The projects will build on France\u2019s strategic advantages, including its advanced grid infrastructure, industrial land availability, engineering talent and strong national commitment to artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n

Strategic Industrial Partnership with Schneider Electric in Dunkirk<\/strong>
\nTo accelerate this buildout, SoftBank Group will partner with Schneider Electric to leverage its energy technology solutions and develop a large-scale industrial production cluster at the Port of Dunkirk.
\nThe cluster will be a key industrial pillar of SoftBank Group\u2019s AI infrastructure program in France and will include two facilities: one operated by SoftBank Group to manufacture enclosures, and one operated by Schneider Electric to integrate data center power modules. It will combine SoftBank Group\u2019s robotics and automation capabilities with Schneider Electric\u2019s industrial expertise and local supply chain network to support the deployment of next-generation AI data centers at scale.
\nBy pairing AI infrastructure with advanced manufacturing, SoftBank Group and Schneider Electric aim to build a stronger, more localized and more resilient supply chain for data center infrastructure in France and Europe. The industrial cluster will also support Dunkirk\u2019s ambition to become a leading hub for robotics, advanced manufacturing and industrial innovation.
\nOlivier Blum, CEO of Schneider Electric, said: \u00abThe challenge of AI is to deliver both speed and energy efficiency at scale \u2014 and Schneider Electric\u2019s role is to enable and accelerate this transformation as the energy technology partner. By connecting energy and AI, we provide the electrical and digital backbone that makes high-performance, efficient and sustainable infrastructure possible. Our prefabricated power modules are a key lever to combine speed, scalability and energy optimization. Together with SoftBank, we are proud to contribute to a major investment strengthening France as a leading European hub for next-generation digital infrastructure.\u00bb<\/p>\n

Creating Jobs, Skills and Regional R&D<\/strong>
\nSoftBank Group\u2019s investment is expected to create thousands of high-skilled jobs across data center development, engineering, energy systems, robotics, operations, maintenance and advanced manufacturing.
\nThe company also plans to support regional research and development through partnerships with local universities, engineering schools, and training institutions. These partnerships will focus on the skills needed for the next generation of AI infrastructure.
\nTogether, the AI data center program and Schneider Electric partnership will help provide the compute capacity, industrial foundation and skilled workforce required to support AI innovation, industrial adoption and technological sovereignty in France and across Europe.<\/p>\n

Above, Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO, SoftBank Group Corp. \/ image credited to SoftBank Group Corp.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Major investment to strengthen France\u2019s AI infrastructure, support European technological sovereignty and anchor advanced data center manufacturing in Dunkirk with Schneider Electric SoftBank Group Corp. announced its commitment to develop and operate 5 GW of AI data center capacity in France, representing an investment of up to \u20ac75 billion. The first phase, comprising an initial … <\/p>\n

Continue reading \u00abSoftBank Group to build 5 GW of AI data center capacity in France\u00bb<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25564,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11,9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25563"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25563"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25563\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25566,"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25563\/revisions\/25566"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/25564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}