- The AI campus near Paris will have a capacity of 1.4GW, with operations expected to begin by 2028.
- The project is part of France’s $118bn investment plan to bolster its AI capabilities.
Joint venture aims to position France as a leader in AI infrastructure
Nvidia, in collaboration with the MGX investment fund of the United Arab Emirates, has revealed a partnership with French entities to develop the largest artificial intelligence (AI) campus in Europe, located near Paris. This announcement was made during the Choose France Summit held in Versailles. The campus is anticipated to have a capacity of 1.4 gigawatts (GW), with construction scheduled to begin in the latter half of 2026 and operations projected to start by 2028.
This initiative brings together several key stakeholders, including the French national investment bank Bpifrance and the generative AI firm Mistral AI. Additional partners include the low-carbon energy provider EDG Group, telecommunications infrastructure company Sipartech, France’s national electricity transmission operator RTE, engineering and construction firm Bouygues, and the esteemed engineering school École Polytechnique.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang stated, “The AI Campus will be a transformational infrastructure for France – built in France, to fuel France in the era of AI. It will revolutionise science, education, and industry.”
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Also read: US and UAE plan massive AI campus
Why it’s important
This project supports French President Emmanuel Macron’s investment plan to strengthen Europe’s role in the global AI industry, which is currently dominated by the US and China. Announced at the AI Action Summit in Paris, the plan includes building major infrastructure such as high-capacity computing clusters and data centers. Funding will come from sources including the UAE’s MGX fund and Canadian asset manager Brookfield. A key focus is using France’s nuclear energy to power the infrastructure with low-carbon electricity.
The goal of this new AI campus is to help France reduce its dependence on US and Chinese technology and foster the development of homegrown AI innovations. With the involvement of global players like Nvidia and MGX, the project highlights growing international interest in expanding AI infrastructure and Europe’s strategic role in the field. The campus is expected to become a central hub for AI research, education, and industry, offering the tools and facilities needed to drive AI development across France and Europe.
