Choose France Summit 2026 Sees Major Investment Announcements Across AI, Data Centers, and Industry

The 9th annual Choose France summit, held on June 1, 2026, at the Palace of Versailles, highlighted significant foreign and domestic investment commitments that underscore France's ongoing appeal as a top investment destination in Europe. President Emmanuel Macron hailed the event as potentially "historic," with major corporations announcing large-scale investments across multiple sectors, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers.

Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Nvidia jointly announced a €350 million investment over five years to create an AI Factory Lab in Grenoble. This new lab will serve as a global reference center for testing AI solutions for businesses and research institutions, expanding HPE’s local workforce by 80 engineers alongside its existing 300 employees. The facility will initially open on HPE’s site in Eybens before relocating to a new building in Saint-Martin-d’Hères by early 2027. HPE’s presence in the Grenoble area can be traced back to the 1970s.

In the data center arena, Japanese multinational SoftBank disclosed a monumental €45 billion project in Hauts-de-France, with total investments projected to reach €75 billion by project completion in 2031. This initiative is among the largest announced at the summit, alongside Canadian asset manager Brookfield's $10 billion facility planned for Escaudain. Foxconn also revealed a €120 million investment in Angers to produce AI-related computer motherboards in partnership with French supercomputer firm Bull.

The steel industry saw a major announcement from Italian group Marcegaglia, which is investing €600 million in its Mistral project at Fos-sur-Mer. Additionally, U.S.-based water treatment company Ecolab committed €100 million across two French sites.

Fintech firm Revolut confirmed plans to invest an additional €100 million by 2030 in France, aiming to add 200 jobs to reach a workforce of 650 employees. France has become the company’s largest European market with over 7 million clients, a number expected to rise to 10 million this year. Revolut is establishing a new 2,400 square meter headquarters in Paris's 2nd arrondissement to serve as its Western Europe hub.

Since its inception in January 2018, the Choose France initiative has attracted over 230 investment projects valued at approximately €87 billion, contributing substantially to industrial job creation. While France continues to lead Europe in foreign investments for the seventh consecutive year, economic experts caution about challenges remaining in sectors like automotive and metallurgy.

Overall, the summit's investment announcements reinforce France’s strategic position in cutting-edge technology, infrastructure, and industry, delivering substantial economic and employment benefits.