Supermodel Energy: SoftBank Invests €75B in a 1GW AI Data Center in France

The infrastructure of generative artificial intelligence is moving to the scale of heavy industrial construction. On May 31, 2026, plans were revealed for Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group and the company Sesterce to build a giant AI data center in Bosquel, France.

The project’s figures are unprecedented: the first phase will require €45 billion in investments, and the total budget could reach €75 billion. The stated capacity of 1 gigawatt (1 GW) is equivalent to the output of a modern nuclear reactor. This project reflects Europe’s new macroeconomic reality. Having fallen behind in the algorithm race and shackled its developers with strict compliance (AI Act), the EU is trying to become at least the physical host for the computing of global players. For SoftBank, this is a strategic hedge—diversifying computing power outside the volatile Asian region and the US.

Source: SoftBank Group / Reuters / Business Times