SoftBank is set to invest up to 75 billion euros in AI data centers in France, with the first phase targeting 45 billion euros in infrastructure by 2031. The project includes 3.1 gigawatts of capacity across sites in Dunkirk, Bosquel, and Bouchain in the Hauts-de-France region. This marks SoftBank's largest AI infrastructure investment in Europe, announced at President Macron's Choose France summit. SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son highlighted France's strategic position to become a leading AI infrastructure hub in Europe. The company plans to collaborate with Schneider Electric to establish a manufacturing cluster for data center components in Dunkirk. Economy Minister Roland Lescure cited France's advantages, including fast access to the European power grid, a strong ecosystem, and streamlined permitting. The investment is projected to create thousands of jobs. At the Bosquel site, SoftBank is partnering with French startup Sesterce to develop a large-scale 'AI factory' that integrates energy, compute power, and local partnerships. Sesterce CEO Youssef El Manssouri described the partnership as 'a defining moment [...] for the future of sovereign AI infrastructure in Europe.' France also hosts Mistral, the only relevant EU AI startup with its own large language models. *Source: [thedecoder](https://the-decoder.com/softbank-plans-75-billion-euro-ai-data-center-buildout-in-france/)*