Microsoft on Sunday announced a €4 billion investment in developing data centers in France, joining fellow US giant Amazon in its efforts to tackle the country's technology infrastructure.
The announcement was made on the eve of the 7th France Choice Summit, which aims to attract foreign investors to the country. President Macron will host it at the Palace of Versailles near Paris.
Microsoft President Brad Smith told AFP that the efforts to strengthen its artificial intelligence and cloud computing infrastructure are the tech giant's biggest investment in France since it moved into France 41 years ago.
Smith said France's “long-standing commitment to the carbon-free energy market” and its status as a “key leader” in Europe explained the decision.
A new data center will be established in eastern France, expanding existing sites in the Paris region and the southern city of Marseille.
E-commerce giant Amazon will invest more than 1.2 billion euros in France and create more than 3,000 jobs, French President Emmanuel Macron's office announced early Sunday.
The funding will help develop Amazon Web Services' (AWS) cloud infrastructure (primarily generative artificial intelligence) and logistics infrastructure for the delivery service, the statement added.
Amazon did not respond to AFP's approach on Sunday and recently said it did not want to comment ahead of any announcements that might be made at the event.
The company has already announced that it will create 2,000 new jobs in France in 2024, which will bring the number of employees in the country to 24,000 by the end of the year, mainly in distribution centers.
AWS is the group's main subsidiary, which generated $25 billion in revenue worldwide in the first quarter, capitalizing on growing enterprise demand for remote computing and artificial intelligence services.
Several pharmaceutical groups, including the US' Pfizer Group and the UK's AstraZeneca, announced on Sunday that they would invest more than €1 billion in additional investments in France's healthcare sector as they prepare to launch “Choose France”.
The biggest industrial project announced so far is the construction of a fertilizer factory that has the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions.
European Union company Fertihy announced it is considering investing 1.3 billion euros ($1.4 billion) in a factory in northern France's Somme region, Industry Minister Laurent Lescure told France's La Tribune Dimanche newspaper. Told.
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