PARIS, June 1 (Reuters) - France announced 71 foreign investment projects worth a combined €93 billion ($108.3 billion) at its annual Choose France business summit on Monday, adding they would create more than 15,600 jobs.
The largest announcements centered on artificial intelligence and data centres, as President Emmanuel Macron seeks to position France as a European hub for AI infrastructure, helped by its low-carbon electricity supply.
Following are some of the main investment pledges:
AI AND DATA CENTRES
SoftBank plans to develop and operate 5 GW of AI-dedicated data centre capacity in France, including an initial €45 billion investment for 3.1 gigawatts in Hauts-de-France by 2031. The projects are expected to create about 8,600 construction jobs and 900 direct operating jobs.
Canadian asset manager Brookfield plans to raise AI infrastructure investments in France to €30 billion, from €20 billion announced in February 2025. The investment covers an AI facility at E-Valley near Cambrai and a new AI site at Escaudain.
Netherlands-based AI cloud company Nebius plans to convert a former Bridgestone site into a major European computing site, investing more than €8 billion for targeted capacity of 240 megawatts.
Abu Dhabi investment company MGX and French public investment bank Bpifrance said a second AI site is due to be selected soon, representing about €7.5 billion of investment and 700 permanent jobs once operational.
Low-carbon data centre specialist Verne and French investment firm Ardian plan to develop a digital infrastructure campus in the Paris region, with investment of up to €5 billion and target capacity of 500 MW.
UAE digital infrastructure group Phoenix Group, with DC Max, plans a first 18 MW data centre campus in the Lyon region and a broader plan including about 500 MW in France, representing up to €4 billion of potential investment.
U.S. business software group Salesforce announced an additional €2 billion investment in France, including its first EU AI Innovation Hub in Paris.
INDUSTRY, ENERGY AND DECARBONISATION
Portuguese utility company EDP announced €1.3 billion of new investments in France by 2030, covering onshore and offshore wind, solar, battery storage and grid infrastructure.
German renewable energy company Enertrag [RIC:RIC:ENRWHA.UL] announced a €1.1 billion investment programme by 2030 for renewable energy and battery storage infrastructure in France.
Italian steel group Marcegaglia announced an additional €600 million for its Mistral project at Fos-sur-Mer, taking total planned investment at the site to about €1.2 billion.
Ireland-based paper packaging group Smurfit Westrock announced nearly €600 million of investment in its French sites over the next three to five years to modernise and decarbonise operations.
HEALTH AND PHARMA
German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim announced a €500 million investment programme by 2030 in animal health
LOGISTICS, RETAIL AND FINANCE
Belgian real estate group VGP will invest more than €1.5 billion in business parks and logistics facilities.
U.S. e-commerce and cloud group Amazon announced three new logistics sites and a new distribution centre, investing €400 million and creating more than 3,000 permanent jobs.
Polish parcel locker and delivery group InPost, owner of Mondial Relay, plans to invest at least €500 million more in France by 2030, and plans to create a least 750 jobs.
ENTERTAINMENT
Saudi organisation E-Sport Foundation will invest around €250 million in organising the Esports World Cup in Paris this summer, which the government said should generate around €600 million in indirect economic impact.
($1 = 0.8587 euros)
Reporting by Hugo Lhomedet. Editing by Dominique Patton
Source: Reuters