Overview
- SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son disclosed on May 30 that the group will invest €45 billion over the next five years in AI data centres in the Hauts-de-France region as part of a wider €75 billion proposal.
- The initial phase is targeted to add roughly 3.0–3.1 gigawatts of data‑centre power with first sites, including Le Bosquel, aimed to start operating around 2028 and wider delivery by 2031.
- Schneider Electric is named as a partner that will design and supply equipment and build a factory at the port of Dunkirk to support the project’s infrastructure needs.
- Analysts and reporters warn the €75 billion headline and the tight 2028–2031 timeline are not fully documented and face concrete execution risks such as permitting delays, construction bottlenecks and grid connection constraints.
- If realised the investment would shift Europe’s AI supply chain by increasing domestic compute and could prompt public co‑investment and subsidies for chips and power, while creating local construction and energy jobs in northern France.