Fluidstack invests €10B in French AI supercomputer project

Fluidstack, a leading AI cloud platform, has partnered with the French government to construct a massive AI supercomputer facility powered by nuclear energy. The 10 billion euro project, announced at the AI Action Summit in Paris, aims to establish France as a major player in global AI computing infrastructure alongside the United States and China.

Project Scope and Timeline: The initiative centers on building one of the world’s largest decarbonized AI supercomputing facilities, leveraging France’s nuclear power infrastructure.

• The facility will provide up to 1 gigawatt of AI compute capacity, with plans for further expansion by 2028
• Phase 1 of the project will host approximately 500,000 next-generation AI chips
• Operations are scheduled to begin in 2026

Key Strategic Elements: The partnership capitalizes on France’s existing nuclear infrastructure and technological capabilities to create a sustainable AI computing hub.

• France’s nuclear energy infrastructure provides a stable, carbon-free power source essential for large-scale AI computing
• RTE, the French national electricity transmission company, will manage the grid connection
• The project is expected to generate thousands of high-skilled jobs in AI research and infrastructure

Government Leadership: President Emmanuel Macron’s administration has positioned this investment as central to France’s AI strategy and technological sovereignty.

• Macron emphasized France’s leading role in European AI development since 2017
• The initiative builds on France’s existing strengths in healthcare, space, defense, and large language models
• The government views the project as crucial for maintaining competitiveness in global innovation

Corporate Perspective: Fluidstack’s leadership sees the partnership as transformative for both the company and France’s position in global AI development.

• The company has secured strong interest from financial partners for the EUR 10 billion investment
• Cesar Maklary, Fluidstack’s co-founder and president, highlighted France’s digital and energy sovereignty as key factors in choosing the location
• The facility is specifically designed to train advanced AI models, positioning France as a global AI powerhouse

Strategic Implications: This partnership represents a significant shift in the global AI computing landscape, with potential ripple effects across the technology sector.

• The project could reshape the balance of AI computing power, currently dominated by the US and China
• The use of nuclear energy for AI computing could set a precedent for sustainable high-performance computing
• Success could attract additional international investment and talent to France’s AI ecosystem

Future Considerations: While the project’s ambitions are clear, its success will depend on execution, market conditions, and the evolving competitive landscape in AI infrastructure development. The initiative’s focus on sustainable energy could become a model for future AI computing projects, though questions remain about long-term competitiveness with established players in the US and China.