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Home»success stories»SoftBank chooses the Hauts-de-France region for its AI infrastructure

SoftBank has chosen the Hauts-de-France region

for its 3 GW of AI infrastructure

Unveiled at the Choose France 2026 Summit, this project will be a major development for the Hauts-de-France region. The massive €45 billion investment is expected to create 900 jobs and make the region a key European hub for artificial intelligence.
Date de publication Published on 05.06.2026
Nord France Invest

SoftBank in Hauts-de-France
a €45 billion project

This will be the largest investment ever made in AI infrastructure in Europe.

On Monday, June 1, the Japanese group SoftBank announced a €45 billion investment in the Hauts-de-France region to support the rapid growth of artificial intelligence.

This will enable the deployment of 3 supercomputers with a combined computing power of 3 gigawatts.

And it is in the Hauts-de-France region that the group has chosen to establish its AI infrastructure, at the following sites:

  • Dunkerque-Loon-Plage
  • Le Bosquel
  • And Bouchain

🔎 Why did you choose the Hauts-de-France region for the development of your AI infrastructure?

A project that will expand access to high-performance, low-carbon computing capabilities in France and is expected to create 900 jobs.

©Ludovic Marin

3 GW: a massive amount of power

The 3 gigawatts of power deployed by SoftBank in the Hauts-de-France region is equivalent to the annual residential electricity consumption of several million French households.

This scale immediately places this project among Europe’s most powerful computing infrastructure.

Have you got an AI project planned
in the Hauts-de-France region?

The Hauts-de-France region is becoming an essential European hub for AI infrastructure.

Contact our dedicated team and get started with our confidential, 100% free, and customized support.

  • 01Select your investment type
  • 02Tell us about your project
  • 03We will get back to you within 48 hours
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We will get back to you as soon as possible and answer any questions you may have about your artificial intelligence development project in the Hauts-de-France region.

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A strategic industrial partnership
with Schneider Electric in Dunkirk

In addition to supercomputer projects, SoftBank Group is partnering with Schneider Electric to create a large-scale industrial facility dedicated to the manufacture of power modules for data centers.

This project, which is based in the port of Dunkirk, is expected to create 350 additional jobs.

This facility will combine SoftBank Group’s capabilities in robotics and automation with Schneider Electric’s industrial expertise and its local supply chain network.

This partnership will establish a complete industrial value chain in France, covering everything from equipment manufacturing to the operation of computing infrastructure.

It will contribute to the Hauts-de-France region’s goal of becoming a leading hub in the fields of robotics, advanced manufacturing, and industrial innovation.

A significant impact on talent
and R&D in Hauts-de-France

These two projects, led by SoftBank, are expected to create 1,200 skilled jobs in the Hauts-de-France region, across a variety of fields:

  • the development of data centers,
  • engineering,
  • energy systems
  • robotics,
  • operations,
  • maintenance
  • advanced manufacturing.
  • SoftBank also plans to

support regional R&D through partnerships with universities, engineering schools, and training institutions in the Hauts-de-France region, focusing on the skills needed for the next generation of AI infrastructure.

Hauts-de-France: a region ideally suited
for major digital infrastructure projects

For SoftBank, the choice of the Hauts-de-France region is based primarily on structural advantages:

This industrial and energy framework is supported by a vibrant digital ecosystem:

  • Research laboratories (CNRS, Inria),
  • Higher education institutions (École Centrale de Lille, IMT Nord Europe, UTC de Compiègne)
  • Companies involved in the development of AI-related technologies

SoftBank’s setting-up is part of a broader trend toward digital reindustrialization, making the Hauts-de-France region a pioneer in hosting critical infrastructure for the AI economy.

🔎 Hauts-de-France: A dynamic environment for artificial intelligence

A project supported by Nord France Invest
and the Invest in Hauts-de-France Network

This project is the result of close coordination between government agencies, the Hauts-de-France Region, Business France, Nord France Invest, the Dunkirk Urban Community, the Grand Port Maritime de Dunkerque, the Somme Sud-Ouest Community of Municipalities, and the Porte du Hainaut Urban Community.

This collaboration has made it possible to meet the technical, land, energy, and regulatory requirements necessary to attract an investment of this scale within a competitive timeframe.

A project rooted in the “AI Valley”
of the Hauts-de-France region

SoftBank’s arrival gives substance to the ambition set forth in 2025 by the Hauts-de-France region to build a European-scale “AI Valley.”

It clearly demonstrates that the region has what it takes to attract the key players who will shape the development of artificial intelligence over the coming decades, and that France can make its mark in this global competition not only through its talent and research, but also through its infrastructure.

SoftBank, a global leader in AI
and essential technologies

Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Tokyo, SoftBank Group Corp. is one of the world’s most influential technology and investment groups.

Its vision—to become the company that powers the world’s most essential technologies—has led to major investments in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and digital infrastructure in over 30 countries.

The group leads a division dedicated to AI computing, which includes subsidiaries that specialize in designing semiconductors and high-performance computing platforms, such as Arm Holdings, Ampere Computing, and Graphcore, with the goal of accelerating the development of next-generation artificial intelligence.

The setting up of a supercomputing infrastructure in the Hauts-de-France region is a direct part of this global strategy.

A development project in Hauts-de-France?
Contact our relocation experts!

Christelle Christelle
Frederik Frederik

Christelle and Frederik are your dedicated contacts for setting up your artificial intelligence business in the Hauts-de-France region.

Contact them today to get started on your personalized and confidential support plan!

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