In the tech industry, while some announcements may seem surprising, they’re often part of something bigger. Take Microsoft's latest announcement this week. The company unveiled a $4.3 billion investment in France to enhance its cloud infrastructure and give its artificial intelligence projects a fresh boost.
With its investment, Microsoft aims to train one million people and support 2,500 AI startups by 2027. Microsoft president Brad Smith shared the news on Monday alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.
The investment includes plans to build a new data center in France by the end of 2025, which will house up to 25,000 of the “most advanced GPUs.” Microsoft already has similar infrastructure in Paris and Marseille. It will also invest in a new campus and data center in Mulhouse, a city located near the borders of Switzerland and Germany in the eastern part of the country.
In addition, the tech giant has initiated several projects to supply renewable energy to power its new facility. By the end of the year, the company aims to generate around 100 MW from new projects in this area.
Microsoft's Seemingly Limitless Investments
Microsoft’s investment in France is part of a series of global moves. The company has been announcing investments in several countries to establish new data centers and enhance its AI infrastructure and resources.
At Xataka On, we’ve been closely monitoring these developments. Here's a rundown of the company's latest investments:
- October 23, 2023: Australia, $3.2 billion
- November 22, 2023: Canada, $500 million
- November 30, 2023: United Kingdom, $3.2 billion
- February 15, 2024: Germany, $3.4 billion
- February 19, 2024: Spain, $2.1 billion
- April 10, 2024: Japan, $2.9 billion
- April 15, 2024: Abu Dhabi, $1.5 billion
- April 30, 2024: Indonesia, $1.7 billion
- May 1, 2024: Thailand, unspecified amount
- May 2, 2024: Malaysia, $2.2 billion
- May 8, 2024: Wisconsin, $3.3 billion
- May 13, 2024: France, $4.3 billion
The company's investments listed above total close to $28 billion, excluding the investment in Thailand, which has not been specified. As such, over the last seven months, Microsoft has committed a colossal amount of money to investments.
The goal appears to be clear. Microsoft wants to lead the future of the AI sector by establishing new data centers specifically dedicated to this field. The company also wants to achieve this by launching initiatives to train professionals and support current and future startups.
The agreements also serve as a significant way to garner support in the countries where Microsoft is investing. These investments are expected to create new direct and indirect jobs and stimulate the economies of the regions where the data centers will be built.
Image | Open AI | Mockuuups Studio | Xataka
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