France, Paris - 01.06.2026
Ardian, a global private investment firm, and its portfolio company Verne, a leading European platform in low-carbon and high-performance computing infrastructure, announce at the Choose France conference their plans to develop a next-generation digital infrastructure campus in the Île-de-France region.
AI hub to support European sovereignty
Designed as a unique visionary campus, the project aims to provide France and Europe more widely with low-carbon industrial computing resources to support the growth of artificial intelligence.
The large-scale platform, located within one of France’s largest industrial hubs, will house a data center dedicated to notably high-performance computing (HPC), AI model training, and advanced industrial applications. The project represents an investment of up to EUR 5 billion, with a target capacity of 500 MW including an initial phase of approximately 200+ MW by 2030.
The hub will rely on France’s high-capacity energy infrastructure, powered by low-carbon electricity in close collaboration with RTE and the EDF Group.
The hub will be part of the sites supporting the AION consortium’s bid for a French Gigafactory as part of the European Union’s AI Gigafactories initiative.
French campus at the heart of a leading industrial ecosystem
The hub will cover the entire AI value chain, from computing power to industrial applications such as research, healthcare, finance, and energy. Verne will draw on its experience in low-carbon data centers in Northern Europe to design and operate a high-performance platform tailored to the most demanding environmental requirements.
The site will be developed in close collaboration with government agencies, the region, local public entities, and major French industrial and financial groups, including the Bouygues Group and Crédit Agricole. The platform also aims to secure major technological, industrial, and academic partners as part of its rollout phase.
Ardian and Verne intend to build an ecosystem that brings together infrastructure operators, energy companies, digital technology firms, research centers, and higher education institutions to develop expertise and accelerate innovation in AI. Hundreds of direct and indirect jobs will be created across the entire value chain, from construction to operations.
Ardian's integrated infrastructure strategy in action
Ardian's infrastructure strategy invests in verticals that form the backbone of Europe's economy, including digital infrastructure, energy and transport.
A dual commitment to digital and energy infrastructure underscores Ardian’s vision that the sustainable scaling of high-performance computing can only be achieved through a coordinated and global approach that aligns growth in computing demand with clean and reliable energy generation at scale. Through other Ardian controlled French platforms in its portfolio, including Akuo (a global renewable energy player) and GreenYellow (a French pioneer in decentralized renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions), Ardian is separately investing up to €3 billion in new French energy infrastructure, representing 2.5 GW of renewable energy capacity in the grid by 2030.
“Ardian’s strategy of investing in both essential digital and energy infrastructure is aligned with the European needs to strengthen its strategic capabilities and accelerate its progress toward digital sovereignty. It perfectly demonstrates Ardian visionary approach by committing simultaneously €3bn in new renewable energy investment in France representing the same baseload consumption of new digital infrastructure development. By bringing together our industrial and financial knowledge with an ecosystem of leading French industrial partners, our ambition is to build a benchmark platform in the Île-de-France region gathering digital, industrial and research serving Europe.”
Mathias Burghardt - Executive President of Ardian and CEO of Ardian France
“This project marks a strategic milestone in Verne’s development as a leading European platform for digital infrastructure dedicated to artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. It illustrates our ambition to establish infrastructure in France capable of meeting the needs of major European industrial and technology players. We are building competitive and sustainable European AI backbone of our economy.”
Dominic Ward & Roland Chedlivili - CEO of Verne and Managing Director of Verne France
About Ardian
In a world of constant change, Ardian stands out for its ability to anticipate, adapt and turn challenges into opportunities. As a leading global private investment house with 22 offices worldwide and more than 350 investment professionals, we develop investment solutions and tailored strategies designed to respond to new economic dynamics and help our clients remain resilient in a changing world.
We combine local insight with international expertise, deliver long-term performance and share value with our investors, our partners and society more broadly. Since Ardian was founded in 1996, this pioneering approach to diversification and our ability to provide tailored solutions at scale have remained central to our strategy.
Through our commitment, expertise and technology, we create lasting value for our portfolio companies and contribute positively across the wider market.
Ardian manages or advises [1]4200 billion of assets on behalf of more than 1,890 clients globally across Private Equity, Real Assets and Credit.
About Verne
Verne is a leading Nordic provider of low-carbon, high-density data centers with environmental responsibility at its core. Verne designs, develops and operates scalable digital infrastructure in optimal locations, supporting the AI journey for hyperscalers, neoclouds and enterprises. Backed by Ardian since 2024, a leading global diversified private markets firm, Verne is accelerating its expansion throughout the Nordics and Northern Europe.
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