SoftBank Pledges €75 Billion for AI Supercomputer in France
1h ago|4 min readStandard
Fazen Markets Editorial Desk
Collective editorial team · methodology
softbankartificial-intelligence
Fazen Markets Editorial Desk
Collective editorial team · methodology
Trades XAUUSD 24/5 on autopilot. Verified Myfxbook performance. Free forever.
Risk warning: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. The majority of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. Vortex HFT is informational software — not investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Masayoshi Son’s SoftBank Group announced on 30 May 2026 a €75 billion commitment to construct Europe’s most powerful artificial intelligence computing facility in France. The flagship project, backed by the French government, aims to establish a sovereign AI capability for the European Union. The investment represents the single largest private capital infusion into European technology infrastructure this decade. Construction of the data center campus and associated supercomputer cluster is scheduled to commence in early 2027.
The commitment follows a series of strategic moves by European regulators to reduce dependency on US cloud providers like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. The EU AI Act, fully ratified in 2025, created stringent data governance rules that favor on-continent processing. France’s technology sector has attracted over €20 billion in foreign direct investment since 2023, bolstered by President Macron’s ‘Scale-Up Europe’ initiative offering tax incentives for strategic tech investments. The global AI infrastructure market is projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2028, creating a land grab for geographic control over computing power.
SoftBank’s ambitions had previously centered on the UK-based ARM Holdings, its chip design unit. The decision to locate the supercomputer in France instead of expanding ARM’s UK footprint reflects post-Brexit regulatory complexities and France’s aggressive courting of tech sovereignty projects. The announcement comes as the European Central Bank maintains a hawkish stance, with deposit facility rates at 3.75%, making large-scale capital commitments more costly. SoftBank’s Vision Fund reported a record quarterly profit of $6.8 billion in Q1 2026, providing the balance sheet strength for this deployment.
The €75 billion ($81.5 billion) investment will be deployed over an eight-year horizon. The planned facility will have a computational capacity of 50 exaflops, exceeding the current European record holder, the LUMI supercomputer in Finland, which operates at 0.5 exaflops. For comparison, the Frontier supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States currently leads globally with a peak performance of 2 exaflops.
The project is expected to create 5,000 direct jobs in the Ile-de-France region and an estimated 25,000 indirect jobs across the supply chain by 2035. The French government will contribute an estimated €2 billion in infrastructure subsidies and tax abatements. This follows a precedent set by Intel’s 2024 deal in Germany, which secured €10 billion in government support for a €30 billion chip fab.
| Metric | Before Projection (2026) | After Projection (2035) |
|---|---|---|
| France's AI Compute Share in EU | 15% | 40% |
| Direct High-Skilled Tech Jobs | 1,200 | 5,000 |
France’s current share of the global data center market is 3.5%, compared to the United States’ 45% and China’s 15%. The French economy grew 0.9% year-over-year in Q1 2026, slightly below the Eurozone average of 1.2%.
The direct beneficiaries include French construction and engineering firms. Vinci SA (DG.PA) and Bouygues (EN.PA) are front-runners for the primary construction contracts, with both stocks rising 4.5% and 5.1% respectively in after-hours trading. European semiconductor equipment suppliers like ASML (ASML.AS) and BE Semiconductor (BESI.AS) may see increased orders for advanced packaging technologies required for AI accelerators.
European utility stocks, particularly Électricité de France (EDF.PA), face a dual narrative. The facility’s immense power demand, estimated at 3 gigawatts, guarantees long-term revenue but also intensifies pressure on a grid already strained by the energy transition. The project’s scale poses a significant execution risk; no single company has successfully deployed a 50-exaflop facility on an accelerated timeline. Investor positioning data from Euronext shows a 20% increase in call option volume on the CAC 40 index, concentrated in the technology and industrial sectors.
The next major catalyst is the European Commission’s ruling on state aid approval, expected by 31 October 2026. Market participants will monitor bond issuance from SoftBank Group, as the company is likely to tap euro-denominated debt markets to fund the project’s initial phase. Key resistance for the Euronext Tech Index (TEC.PA) is at the 1,250 level, a breach of which would signal sustained bullish momentum.
French parliamentary elections in June 2027 represent a political risk factor, as a change in government could alter the terms of the state support package. The first phase of the data center is scheduled to come online in Q4 2029. Power purchase agreement announcements with renewable energy providers will serve as interim validation milestones for the project’s viability.
Large-scale capital inflows from yen-denominated funds into euro-denominated assets typically create appreciation pressure on the EUR/JPY cross. The €75 billion will be converted and deployed over several years, providing a structural bid for the euro against the yen. This could partially offset the Bank of Japan’s efforts to control yield curve volatility, potentially pushing EUR/JPY toward the 185 level from its current 170.
A 3-gigawatt power requirement is equivalent to the energy consumption of approximately 2.2 million households. The facility’s carbon footprint will depend entirely on its energy sourcing. The project’s memorandum of understanding mandates that 95% of its power come from dedicated, newly built renewable sources, primarily nuclear and wind, aligning with France’s decarbonization goals. This demand will likely accelerate domestic investment in renewable energy infrastructure.
The investment positions France as the continent’s primary hub for AI compute infrastructure, but leadership requires a full stack of talent, research, and commercialization. Germany retains an advantage in industrial AI applications, while the UK leads in AI research and venture capital funding. The project creates a foundational pillar, but France must still cultivate a broader ecosystem to challenge the US and China holistically.
SoftBank’s €75 billion wager transforms France into Europe’s primary battleground for sovereign artificial intelligence capacity.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. CFD trading carries high risk of capital loss.
Vortex HFT is our free MT4/MT5 Expert Advisor. Verified Myfxbook performance. No subscription. No fees. Trades 24/5.
Position yourself for the macro moves discussed above
Start TradingSponsored
Open a demo account in 30 seconds. No deposit required.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.