Data centers, decarbonized steel, and even cookies: once again, Choose France — the annual flagship event dedicated to France’s economic attractiveness — served as a platform for a wave of foreign investment announcements. According to President Emmanuel Macron, the summit generated a record €93 billion in investment commitments.

AI Takes Center Stage with SoftBank and Salesforce

Japanese technology investment giant SoftBank kicked off the announcements on Saturday evening with a commitment of €75 billion, including €45 billion by 2031, to build data centers in the Hauts-de-France region. According to CEO Masayoshi Son, this represents “the largest investment in Europe in AI-related infrastructure.”

Among the other major AI-related announcements:

  • Canadian asset manager Brookfield will invest an additional €10 billion in AI infrastructure in France, bringing its total commitment to as much as €30 billion.
  • Emirati investment fund MGX and Bpifrance announced the imminent selection of a second site for AI infrastructure development, representing approximately €7.5 billion in investment. This follows the AI Campus project in Fouju (Seine-et-Marne), currently under construction in partnership with Mistral AI and Nvidia.
  • US software and cloud computing company Salesforce announced a $2 billion investment in France by 2030 to establish an AI hub in Paris and support education and AI skills development initiatives.
  • Investment firm Ardian and Nordic data center operator Verne unveiled plans for a digital infrastructure campus in the Paris region, with investments that could reach €5 billion. The facility will host a data center dedicated to high-performance computing, AI model training, and advanced industrial applications.
  • US AI and data analytics company Databricks plans to invest more than $300 million by 2029, expand its French workforce to over 400 employees, and train more than 40,000 people in AI tools over the next three years.
  • Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn will invest €120 million in Angers to launch a production line for AI motherboards in partnership with French supercomputing specialist Bull. The company will also break ground on its semiconductor assembly plant near Bordeaux, announced during the previous Choose France summit.

Three New Sites for Amazon

Amazon, which had already unveiled a €15 billion investment plan over three years earlier in May, announced three additional logistics facilities expected to create 1,000 new jobs, on top of the 7,000 previously announced.

The e-commerce giant plans to build new distribution centers, expand its cloud and AI operations, particularly for French SMEs, and strengthen its existing logistics network.

Belgian industrial park developer VGP also announced an investment of more than €1.5 billion, expected to create 5,000 jobs over six years.

Steel and Renewable Energy

Italian steelmaker Marcegaglia will invest an additional €600 million in its decarbonized primary steel production project in Fos-sur-Mer, bringing the total investment to approximately €1.2 billion.

Meanwhile:

  • Portuguese energy company EDP plans €1.3 billion in investments by 2030 for wind, solar, battery storage, and grid infrastructure projects.
  • German renewable energy group Enertrag will invest €1.1 billion by 2030 in new energy infrastructure, including renewable generation and battery storage capacity.

Food Industry: Mars and Ferrero

Food giant Mars will invest €100 million across several French sites to modernize infrastructure, expand production capacity, reduce environmental impact, and improve operational and logistics performance.

Italian confectionery company Ferrero will invest €60 million in its factories in Villers-Écalles (Normandy) and Nieppe (Hauts-de-France), including a new production line dedicated to launching Nutella Cookies.

Major Investments in Pharmaceuticals

Several pharmaceutical companies also announced significant commitments:

  • Swiss generic drug manufacturer Sandoz will invest approximately €150 million by 2034 to expand production capacity at its Toulouse facility dedicated to biosimilar medicines.
  • British pharmaceutical group GSK announced an additional investment of nearly €140 million, split equally between R&D and upgrades to its sites in Évreux, Mayenne, and Saint-Amand-les-Eaux.
  • Swiss allergy-treatment specialist Stallergenes Greer will invest €125 million by 2030 to strengthen its industrial operations in the Paris region.

A Record-Breaking Edition

The 2026 edition of Choose France highlights France’s continued ability to attract large-scale foreign investment despite broader economic headwinds. While artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure dominated the headlines, the summit also demonstrated sustained investor interest in strategic sectors including energy, advanced manufacturing, food production, logistics, and pharmaceuticals.

With €93 billion in announced commitments, the event marks the largest investment volume ever recorded since the launch of Choose France.