Overview
- SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son told La Tribune Dimanche on Saturday, May 30 that the group will invest €45 billion over the next five years and said the overall intention for France could reach €75 billion.
- The plan names sites in Hauts‑de‑France including Le Bosquel and Dunkirk with initial operation targets in 2028 and 2031 and a combined goal of more than 5 gigawatts of compute capacity.
- SoftBank will formally present the proposal at the Choose France business conference, where details on financing, partners and timing are expected to be clarified.
- Reporting notes that the €75 billion total and any move into Arm‑based semiconductor fabrication are not yet documented and remain under negotiation.
- French firms are already linked to the project, with Schneider cited as a partner, and the investment could expand local jobs, boost energy demand in northern France, and change Europe’s access to large‑scale AI compute.