Cisco will open a brand new International AI Hub in Paris to develop safe, energy-efficient infrastructure, prepare 230,000 in AI abilities, and increase France’s AI startup ecosystem, together with help for native startup and Cisco accomplice Mistral AI.
Sovereign AI infra – Cisco will open a Paris-based AI hub targeted on safe, energy-efficient infrastructure and superior knowledge middle cooling.
Digital abilities faculty – The corporate goals to coach 230,000 folks in AI and digital abilities throughout France over the subsequent three years.
Ecosystem help – Cisco expands backing for French AI corporations, together with Mistral AI, aligning with wider nationwide and worldwide tech funding developments.
Cisco has introduced plans to ascertain a brand new world AI hub (International AI Hub) in France, as a part of a broader set of initiatives to help synthetic intelligence (AI) growth and digital abilities coaching within the nation. The announcement was made throughout the Select France Summit in Paris.
The brand new hub, to be positioned in Paris, will give attention to creating safe and energy-efficient AI-ready infrastructure. It is going to additionally embrace a worldwide middle of experience for superior knowledge middle cooling applied sciences. Along with the hub, Cisco stated it’s going to prepare 230,000 folks in digital and AI-related abilities throughout France over the subsequent three years. The corporate’s Networking Academy has already educated practically 400,000 people in France since its launch in 2001, via a community of greater than 500 academies.
Cisco additionally intends to extend its help for French startups working in areas reminiscent of AI, quantum computing, and digital infrastructure. This consists of ongoing collaboration with Mistral AI, a Paris-based AI agency. In February 2025, the 2 corporations introduced their first collectively developed AI agent, following Mistral AI’s inclusion in Cisco’s $1 billion AI funding fund.
The transfer aligns with a broader wave of funding in France’s AI ecosystem. Microsoft not too long ago dedicated $4.3 billion to increase its AI and cloud operations within the nation by 2027. That features offering as much as 25,000 GPUs and coaching a million folks in AI-related abilities.
French President Emmanuel Macron has additionally outlined plans to entice €109 billion in AI-related investments, together with €20 billion from Canadian investor Brookfield and a possible €50 billion from the United Arab Emirates.
Chuck Robbins, chair and chief govt at Cisco, stated: “The AI revolution is reshaping the world… With high expertise, robust infrastructure, and a vibrant ecosystem, France is well-positioned to paved the way, and Cisco’s investments in AI and abilities throughout Europe will assist unlock the continent’s full potential.”
