Billionaires Xavier Niel, Rodolphe Saadé and Eric Schmidt announced a new nonprofit artificial intelligence research lab in Paris, marking France’s latest push to develop sovereign AI technology.

Niel’s Iliad and Saadé’s CMA CGM SA will each invest €100 million ($108 million), the two businessmen said on a panel of the AI-Pulse conference in Paris on Friday. Former Google Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt, also present at the event, will invest an undisclosed amount via Schmidt Futures.