Brookfield Pledges €20B to AI Growth in France Amid Global Investment Surge

Canadian firm Brookfield commits €20B to AI infrastructure in France, fueling a global trend in AI-focused data centers and investments.

Brookfield’s Bold Bet: €20 Billion for AI Infrastructure in France

In a strategic push to position France as a leader in artificial intelligence, Canadian investment giant Brookfield has announced plans to invest €20 billion ($20.7 billion) by 2030 in AI-focused projects, primarily in data center infrastructure. This move, first reported by La Tribune Dimanche and confirmed by AFP, underscores a broader global trend where nations and corporations are accelerating AI investments.

Brookfield’s commitment aligns with a wave of recent large-scale funding initiatives as tech executives and global policymakers prepare to convene in Paris for the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit. The bulk of Brookfield’s funding—approximately €15 billion—will be allocated to a massive data center in Cambrai, in northern France, designed to handle a capacity of up to one gigawatt. The remaining funds will go toward expanding energy infrastructure to support AI-driven advancements.

France’s Growing Appeal for AI Investment

France is rapidly emerging as an AI investment hotspot, driven by its energy capacity and commitment to sustainable power sources. Currently, about 65% of France’s electricity comes from nuclear power, with another 25% generated by renewables. As AI companies face increasing pressure to lower carbon footprints and secure stable electricity supplies, France’s abundant energy resources make it an attractive destination for hosting power-intensive data centers.

Further boosting France’s AI ambitions, the country has recently partnered with the United Arab Emirates to develop a state-of-the-art AI campus. This collaboration includes an investment of up to €50 billion ($52 billion), primarily directed toward building another high-capacity data center. The scale and speed of these investments reflect Europe’s determination to compete with the United States and China in the AI sector.

The Global AI Investment Race

Brookfield’s announcement comes on the heels of the Stargate Project, an ambitious $500 billion initiative unveiled on January 21 by OpenAI, SoftBank, MGX, and other investors to construct cutting-edge AI data centers across the United States. While exact financial commitments from each investor remain unclear, the sheer scale of the project has prompted European leaders to accelerate their own AI strategies.

Adding to this momentum, a recent report on European competitiveness by former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi has amplified concerns about Europe’s lagging tech infrastructure. This has further galvanized policymakers and private investors to prioritize AI and digital innovation.

France’s Domestic Push: Bpifrance and Iliad Step Up

Beyond foreign investment, French companies are making significant strides in AI development. Bpifrance, the country’s public investment bank, has pledged up to €10 billion ($10.3 billion) to bolster the domestic AI ecosystem. Rather than focusing solely on infrastructure, this fund will back AI startups and venture capital firms specializing in artificial intelligence. Notably, Bpifrance already holds shares in AI leaders like Mistral, H, and Poolside.

Meanwhile, French telecom conglomerate Iliad, founded by billionaire Xavier Niel, is mobilizing €3 billion ($3.1 billion) in AI investments. In partnership with financial firms such as Infravia, Iliad plans to allocate €2.5 billion ($2.6 billion) toward constructing new AI-focused data centers with several hundred megawatts of capacity. This expansion is expected to strengthen Scaleway, Iliad’s cloud computing subsidiary, which has already attracted European AI firms looking for high-performance computing power.

The Road Ahead: A New AI Hub in the Making?

When combining Brookfield’s commitment with other recent pledges, France is poised to receive an estimated €83 billion ($85 billion) in AI-related investments over the next few years. This marks one of the largest AI infrastructure development efforts outside the United States and China, setting the stage for France to become a leading AI hub in Europe.

With the AI Action Summit in Paris set to bring together global policymakers and industry leaders, additional investment announcements may be on the horizon. As competition intensifies, France’s strategic mix of government support, energy security, and private-sector engagement could solidify its place as a dominant force in the global AI landscape.

As AI investment surges worldwide, France is positioning itself at the forefront of the movement. Brookfield’s €20 billion pledge, alongside domestic and international funding, signifies a pivotal moment in AI infrastructure development. With ample renewable energy, government backing, and increasing corporate interest, France could soon emerge as one of the world’s leading AI powerhouses.

(Disclaimer: The information in this article is based on publicly available sources and investment announcements at the time of writing. Readers should refer to official statements for the latest updates.)

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