French President Emmanuel Macron has announced plans for a €109 billion investment in the country in the coming years. The announcement was made during a special interview where he likened this investment to the American Strategic Project, estimated at $500 billion. This investment declaration comes at a time when Paris is hosting the third global summit on artificial intelligence. Many major investors are expected to participate in this summit, and Macron will also hold further interviews with international investors.
The United Arab Emirates made the first investment in this summit, committing to a €30 to €50 billion investment to build a large data center in France. This data center will be specifically dedicated to modern technology and is expected to have a capacity of 1 gigawatt, equivalent to a nuclear reactor. Data centers are crucial for the development of artificial intelligence as they are essential for training large models and keeping them active. They require significant amounts of electricity and water, making their presence a critical element of power and autonomy among different countries.
France is well-equipped for these data centers thanks to its nuclear parks. The French government has collaborated with EDF and RTE to provide 35 locations for private investors to establish data centers, which will help streamline construction processes. Canadian investment company Brookfield has also announced a €20 billion investment in France, with €15 billion earmarked for data center construction. This project will be located in Cambrai, where France’s current engineering skills will be utilized.
Another French company, Iliad, has announced a €3 billion investment to enhance its European data centers’ capabilities. Additionally, a startup named Mistral has presented a project for a multi-billion euro investment to build its first data center. These investments reflect France’s efforts to strengthen its position in the field of artificial intelligence globally, with more investment announcements expected during this summit.
Macron’s announcement of the €109 billion investment in France signals a significant step towards boosting the country’s technological infrastructure. This follows news that the IMF team will be visiting Pakistan, Pakistan’s strong condemnation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement, a major police operation in Essen related to the investigation of Louise’s murder, and Donald Trump’s claim of negotiations with Vladimir Putin to end the Russian attacks amid Ukraine’s conflict.
