The 8th Choose France summit, held at the prestigious Château de Versailles, has once again positioned France as a leading destination for foreign investments in Europe. With a record-breaking 37 billion euros pledged, including 20 billion in new investments, the event underscored the country's appeal to global corporations, particularly in the tech and infrastructure sectors. Among the highlights were significant commitments from American and Canadian firms, focusing on data centers and artificial intelligence (AI) projects, which are set to create thousands of jobs across the nation.
Data centers emerged as a focal point of the summit, with Prologis, a U.S.-based logistics real estate company, announcing a 6.4 billion euro investment in warehouses and four data centers in the Paris region. Similarly, Digital Realty confirmed its commitment to developing data centers in Marseille and Dugny, amounting to 2.3 billion euros. These projects, alongside others, highlight France's strategic push to become a hub for digital infrastructure and AI, leveraging its energy sovereignty, notably through nuclear power, to attract energy-intensive industries.
Beyond the tech sector, the summit also showcased investments in various other industries, reinforcing France's diverse economic appeal. From the Spanish firm Cellnex's 2.5 billion euro investment in networks to Accenture's plan to create 250 jobs in AI training, the announcements spanned a wide range of sectors. The presence of over 200 CEOs from around the globe at the summit further attests to the international business community's growing confidence in France's economic landscape and its government's pro-investment policies.
The Choose France initiative, now in its eighth year, continues to break records, with this year's summit surpassing last year's 15 billion euros in investments. The event not only reaffirms France's status as Europe's top destination for foreign investment but also sets the stage for future growth in key sectors like AI, digital infrastructure, and green energy. As these projects unfold, they promise to bring substantial economic benefits, including job creation and technological advancements, further solidifying France's position on the global stage.