France has secured €93 billion ($108 billion) in corporate investment commitments at the annual Choose France summit, with Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group emerging as the largest single investor. The pledges, announced on Monday in Paris, encompass 71 projects that President Emmanuel Macron said are expected to create over 15,600 jobs.
SoftBank's Massive AI Infrastructure Bet
SoftBank has committed €45 billion to build artificial intelligence data centres in northern France, marking what the company describes as its largest AI infrastructure investment in Europe. The first phase of the project aims to deliver 3.1 gigawatts of AI data centre capacity in the Hauts-de-France region by 2031, with sites planned in Dunkirk, Bosquel, and Bouchain. The total programme could reach up to €75 billion for 5 GW of capacity. SoftBank will collaborate with its energy unit SB Energy, as well as partners including Schneider Electric and EDF.
SoftBank chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son told French newspaper La Tribune Dimanche that President Macron had been "persuasive and persistent" in securing the deal, which was set in motion during talks in Tokyo in April.
European AI Push and Digital Sovereignty
France is positioning itself as a European hub for AI data centres amid surging demand for computing power. Officials are promoting the country's low-carbon energy mix, available grid capacity, and streamlined permitting processes to attract fast-moving projects, particularly as the United States and Asia accelerate their own buildouts.
French private investment group Ardian, together with its data centre arm Verne, is planning a €5 billion AI campus in the Île-de-France region with 500 MW capacity, starting with over 200 MW before 2030. The facility will serve high-performance computing, model training, and industrial AI workloads. Ardian's Mathias Burghardt said the project aligns with Europe's push for "digital sovereignty." Verne CEO Dominic Ward and Verne France head Roland Chedlivili described it as a step toward building a European AI backbone. The consortium AION—which includes Ardian, Artefact, Bull, EDF, Capgemini, Iliad, Orange, and Scaleway—plans to use the Ardian-Verne site if it wins a bid to host a European AI gigafactory in France.
Other Major Commitments
Brookfield is reportedly planning an additional €10 billion investment in French AI infrastructure, according to AFP via Boursorama. MGX and Bpifrance are close to selecting a second site worth approximately €7.5 billion. Salesforce has pledged $2 billion through 2030 for AI work and training in Paris.
Beyond technology, the summit also drew significant industrial investments. Italian steelmaker Marcegaglia plans an extra €600 million for its Mistral project at Fos-sur-Mer, bringing the total to about €1.2 billion. In April, Danieli signed a deal with Marcegaglia for a steelmaking and flat-rolling plant at the site, capable of producing over 2 million tonnes of liquid steel and up to 3 million tonnes of hot-rolled coils annually, with potential emissions reductions of up to 80% compared to traditional methods.
London-based fintech Revolut will invest an additional €100 million in France by 2030 and add 200 jobs. The company announced last year it would open its Western Europe headquarters in Paris, pursue a French banking licence, and spend more than €1 billion over three years. Revolut's Western Europe CEO Béatrice Cossa-Dumurgier told Reuters that a French banking licence would allow the company to launch local loans and regulated savings products.
Challenges Ahead
Despite the pledges, analysts caution that translating commitments into operational factories and grid connections remains a challenge. Le Monde reported that France's industrial recovery has lost momentum since 2024, with the country losing nearly 20,000 factory jobs in 2025 and unemployment standing at 8.1%. Olivier Lluansi, a former industry adviser at the Élysée, described Macron's industrial push as a "major disappointment" and warned that policies could stall ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
