The Japanese giant SoftBank will invest 45 billion euros over the next five years to boost artificial intelligence infrastructures in France. The investment, described as the largest of its kind so far in Europe, will be made in the northern Hauts-de-France region and will provide 3.1 GW of capacity. SoftBank also said that additional sites are planned in several locations in France, bringing the overall investment to 75 billion euros.
The details of the operation
A joint venture majority owned by SoftBank Group and formed with Sesterce has been selected to develop and operate a 1 GW AI data center campus in Bosquel, France.
The project represents an important step in expanding the infrastructure needed to support the next generation of artificial intelligence in France and across Europe. It forms a key part of SoftBank Group’s broader 5 GW investment commitment, announced at the Choose France 2026 summit, and strengthens France’s position as a leading European hub for AI infrastructure, high-performance computing and digital services.
Located in the Hauts-de-France region, Bosquel enjoys a strategic location close to some of Europe’s most important economic and technological centers, including Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, London and Frankfurt. Its location will enable it to serve customers in key European markets with advanced, low-latency AI workloads. The joint venture combines SoftBank Group’s global AI infrastructure platform with Sesterce’s data center capabilities. Together, the two companies will develop a campus designed for the scalability, sustainability and performance required by Europe’s growing AI ecosystem.
Who will be the first partners
The precise investment plans will be officially presented today at the annual Choose France conference. Meanwhile, French engineering firm Schneider Electric said it will be one of the key partners in the project and will supply its modules to the sites, but did not disclose financial details. Three sites, including one in Dunkirk, are expected to come online by 2031. State nuclear energy giant EDF is also part of the deal, having handed over one of its former power plants to SoftBank for the site to be transformed into a data center.
The foundation for the future of AI
“AI will shape the next era of technology, industry and human progress, and this future will require a new generation of infrastructure – said Masayoshi Son, CEO of SoftBank Group – Bosquel represents an important step in SoftBank’s commitment to help build this foundation in France, combining large-scale computing capabilities and strong local partnerships to support the European AI ecosystem.”
“This partnership with SoftBank represents a pivotal moment for Sesterce and the future of sovereign AI infrastructures in Europe. Together, we believe Bosquel has the potential to become a leading AI Factory, combining power, computing power and execution at sufficient scale for the next generation of AI,” said Youssef El Manssouri, CEO and co-founder of Sesterce, and Anthony Tchakerian, CEO and co-founder of Sesterce.
