TLDR : Bpifrance, MGX, Mistral AI, and NVIDIA announced the creation of a joint venture to establish the largest AI campus in Europe, with partners such as Bouygues, EDF, École Polytechnique, RTE, and Sipartech. The campus, planned for 2028, aims to cover the entire AI lifecycle and promote AI adoption across various sectors, while enhancing Europe's digital and climate sovereignty.
Table of contents
As part of the "Choose France" summit held this Monday, May 19 in Versailles, Bpifrance, the public investment bank, MGX, an Emirati fund specialized in AI and advanced technologies, the generative AI unicorn Mistral AI, and NVIDIA announced the creation of a joint venture to build the largest AI-dedicated campus in Europe.
A Strategic Initiative Supported by Renowned Partners
The announcement of this project is part of a broader cooperation agreement between France and the United Arab Emirates, initiated last February during the AI Action Summit, following a meeting at the Élysée Palace between Emmanuel Macron and President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Key players in the technology and research sectors, Bouygues, EDF, École Polytechnique, RTE, and Sipartech, a French fiber infrastructure provider, are also partners in the initiative.
A Cutting-Edge Infrastructure for Innovation
Strategically located in the Île-de-France, the leading economic region of Europe, this future campus will benefit from a dynamic ecosystem that includes leading research centers, high-performance computing centers, and a dense network of innovative tech companies. It aims to cover the entire AI lifecycle: training, inference, production deployment. Construction is set to begin in the second half of 2026, with commissioning expected in 2028. It will reach a capacity of 1.4 gigawatts, powered by an exascale computing infrastructure, a sovereign cloud architecture, and low-carbon data centers. The combination of these technical elements reflects a dual ambition: technological performance and environmental responsibility.
This open platform will enable large-scale AI adoption in strategic sectors such as healthcare, mobility, energy, finance, and industry, positioning France as an essential tech hub and strengthening Europe's digital and climate sovereignty.
To better understand
What is an exascale computing infrastructure and why is it essential for the AI campus in Europe?
An exascale computing infrastructure is a computer system capable of performing at least a billion billion calculations per second (exaflop). It is essential for the AI campus because it allows the processing of huge volumes of data necessary for research, training, and application of AI models, thereby increasing computational capacity and accelerating scientific progress.
How does the partnership between France and the United Arab Emirates influence the development of generic AI and what regulatory implications might this have?
The partnership between France and the UAE for developing generic AI could influence technological standards and regulatory frameworks through shared resources and expertise. This could lead to the creation of specific AI regulations that promote international cooperation while respecting data sovereignty and environmental responsibility.