Global investors have announced $538 billion in cross-border greenfield investment in the first half of this year, with artificial intelligence infrastructure emerging as the primary driver of this capital flow. Companies have committed $139.3 billion in new capital to the communications sector, an amount nearly equal to the combined investment in the next three largest sectors.
Data centres have attracted more than $131 billion in committed investment. Companies are investing billions in these facilities to support the continued rise of artificial intelligence, as digital infrastructure provides the computing power required for training and running large AI models. Nearly a quarter of the direct investment in data centres comes from a single transaction: in May, SoftBank committed to investing more than $50 billion in data centres in France. The Japanese technology company plans to build 3.1 gigawatts of data centre capacity there, starting from 2031, which would represent the largest investment of its kind in Europe.
The construction of artificial intelligence infrastructure spills over into energy. Renewable energy sources and fossil fuels occupy the second and third positions by value in greenfield foreign direct investment, as new data centres increase the demand for large and reliable sources of electricity. Renewables have attracted $73.3 billion in new capital investment, with solar energy recording the highest direct investment within that sector, followed by hydrogen and new clean technologies, and then wind energy. Investment in renewables has declined slightly in 2026, partly due to their lower priority among US companies, while the US remains the world's leading source of direct foreign investment.
Coal, oil, and gas attracted $43.7 billion in direct foreign investment, despite turbulence in major hydrocarbon-producing regions, such as the Persian Gulf. Approximately 75 per cent of that investment comes from a natural gas facility in Ohio, which is developing to supply the nearby data centre under construction.
The impact of artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure extends across the remaining ten top sectors by value in global direct foreign investment. Semiconductors attracted $38.8 billion, significantly less than the $138 billion recorded in 2025. In January, US chipmaker Micron committed $24 billion to chip production in Singapore. Companies have allocated $24.9 billion to transport and storage, with the majority of this investment directed towards freight and logistics. Among the leading sectors are semiconductors, energy production, electronic components, industrial equipment, and software.
