Foreign companies have pledged a total of €93 billion in investment at France's annual Choose France summit, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday, with artificial intelligence and data infrastructure projects accounting for the bulk of commitments.
Issued on: 01/06/2026 - RFI
France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a joint statement with SoftBank group Chairman and CEO after a meeting at The Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on 1 June 1 2026, ahead of the "Choose France" event. Some 200 top executives from around the world are expected at Versailles palace west of Paris for President's annual "Choose France" event. AFP - LUDOVIC MARIN
Around 200 senior executives from around the world were hosted at the famous palace southwest of Paris on Monday, with tens of billions of euros in investment already pledged or expected.
This year’s gathering has a strong focus on artificial intelligence, data centres and the infrastructure needed to power the next wave of digital growth.
The summit has become one of Macron’s flagship economic showcases since it was launched in 2018, a year after he entered the Elysee. Its purpose is to convince international companies that France is open for business – and that it can compete in high-tech industry, clean power and advanced manufacturing.
The 2025 edition set a record, with €20 billion in announced projects. This year’s pledges could prove even larger, thanks especially to major plans from technology and investment groups betting on France’s role in the AI boom.
Around 200 senior executives from around the world were hosted at the famous palace southwest of Paris on Monday, with tens of billions of euros in investment already pledged or expected.
This year’s gathering has a strong focus on artificial intelligence, data centres and the infrastructure needed to power the next wave of digital growth.
The summit has become one of Macron’s flagship economic showcases since it was launched in 2018, a year after he entered the Elysee. Its purpose is to convince international companies that France is open for business – and that it can compete in high-tech industry, clean power and advanced manufacturing.
The 2025 edition set a record, with €20 billion in announced projects. This year’s pledges could prove even larger, thanks especially to major plans from technology and investment groups betting on France’s role in the AI boom.
AI takes centre stage
The biggest announcement has come from the Japanese technology investment giant SoftBank, which said at the weekend that it would spend €75 billion on artificial intelligence infrastructure. Its founder, Masayoshi Son, met with Macron at the Elysee palace on Monday.
The pledge underlines how quickly AI has become an economic priority for governments and companies alike. Training and running large AI models requires huge computing power, secure data capacity and reliable electricity – making data centres and advanced chips central to the new industrial landscape.
SoftBank group Chairman and CEO Japanese Masayoshi Son and France's President Emmanuel Macron make a joint statement as part of a signing ceremony and a meeting at The Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on 1 June 2026, ahead of the "Choose France" event. AFP - LUDOVIC MARIN
France is keen to make itself a hub for that ecosystem. According to the business daily Les Echos, Canadian asset manager Brookfield is expected to announce a $10 billion of investment in a data centre in the Escaudain area of northern France. The same report said investment firm Ardian and Nordic data platform Verne would put $5 billion into a data centre in the Paris region.
Taiwanese manufacturing group Foxconn is also expected to invest €120 million in the western city of Angers, where it would develop a production line for motherboards dedicated to AI in partnership with Bull, the French supercomputer specialist.
The summit could also bring announcements on rare earths, the critical minerals used in a wide range of advanced technologies, from electric vehicles to wind turbines and defence equipment. That would fit with France’s wider effort to strengthen supply chains in sectors seen as essential to future economic sovereignty.
Since the first “Choose France” summit, more than 230 projects have been announced, representing some €87 billion and several thousand jobs, according to the Elysee. For Macron, that record supports his argument that pro-business reforms, lower corporate taxes and investment in skills and technology have made France more attractive.
Challenges remain
France has attracted the most foreign investment in Europe for seven years in a row, according to consultancy EY. Macron has argued that this success “does not come out of thin air”, pointing to the policy choices made during his presidency.
EY said France attracted 852 foreign investment projects last year out of 5,026 recorded across 47 European countries. That kept it in first place, although the figure also represented a 17 percent fall in a difficult international environment.
So the picture is encouraging, but mixed. France has been especially successful in attracting AI-linked projects, more than any other European country. Yet parts of its traditional industrial base remain under pressure, particularly the car, chemicals and metallurgy sectors.
That is where the upbeat tone of the Versailles summit meets the harder reality of the wider economy. Big announcements can generate headlines and confidence, but they do not automatically reverse years of industrial decline or weak business investment.
Macron has made no secret of his ambition to make France a world leader in artificial intelligence. He has also announced €1.55 billion of public investment to develop quantum technologies and semiconductors, two areas closely linked to the future of computing and industrial competitiveness.
The question now is whether France can turn the momentum from “Choose France” into a broader economic shift.
(With newswires)
France is keen to make itself a hub for that ecosystem. According to the business daily Les Echos, Canadian asset manager Brookfield is expected to announce a $10 billion of investment in a data centre in the Escaudain area of northern France. The same report said investment firm Ardian and Nordic data platform Verne would put $5 billion into a data centre in the Paris region.
Taiwanese manufacturing group Foxconn is also expected to invest €120 million in the western city of Angers, where it would develop a production line for motherboards dedicated to AI in partnership with Bull, the French supercomputer specialist.
The summit could also bring announcements on rare earths, the critical minerals used in a wide range of advanced technologies, from electric vehicles to wind turbines and defence equipment. That would fit with France’s wider effort to strengthen supply chains in sectors seen as essential to future economic sovereignty.
Since the first “Choose France” summit, more than 230 projects have been announced, representing some €87 billion and several thousand jobs, according to the Elysee. For Macron, that record supports his argument that pro-business reforms, lower corporate taxes and investment in skills and technology have made France more attractive.
Challenges remain
France has attracted the most foreign investment in Europe for seven years in a row, according to consultancy EY. Macron has argued that this success “does not come out of thin air”, pointing to the policy choices made during his presidency.
EY said France attracted 852 foreign investment projects last year out of 5,026 recorded across 47 European countries. That kept it in first place, although the figure also represented a 17 percent fall in a difficult international environment.
So the picture is encouraging, but mixed. France has been especially successful in attracting AI-linked projects, more than any other European country. Yet parts of its traditional industrial base remain under pressure, particularly the car, chemicals and metallurgy sectors.
That is where the upbeat tone of the Versailles summit meets the harder reality of the wider economy. Big announcements can generate headlines and confidence, but they do not automatically reverse years of industrial decline or weak business investment.
Macron has made no secret of his ambition to make France a world leader in artificial intelligence. He has also announced €1.55 billion of public investment to develop quantum technologies and semiconductors, two areas closely linked to the future of computing and industrial competitiveness.
The question now is whether France can turn the momentum from “Choose France” into a broader economic shift.
(With newswires)
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