SoftBank to spend $87.5bn on AI centres in France: Son

SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son said the group will invest 75 billion euros ($87.5 billion) in AI infrastructure in France. The plan includes 45 billion euros to be spent by 2031 on data centres in the Hauts-de-France region, with Schneider Electric partnering and a Dunkirk factory to design and supply equipment. The first three data centres will be located at Dunkirk and near Cambrai and Amiens, and about 35 venues are ready to support the capacity. Son noted the initiative aligns with Macron's push to attract hi-tech industries and that France's status as an energy exporter is crucial for data centres. In 2025, France had roughly 1.5 GW of installed data-centre capacity, with an initial phase of 3.0 GW and a potential rise to 5.0 GW. Blum of Schneider said the partnership would scale capacity across northern sites. SoftBank also cited its 11% OpenAI stake as part of broader efforts to connect Europe with U.S. and Asian AI ecosystems.