Microsoft made its largest investment in Sweden on Monday, announcing that it will spend 33.7 billion kronor ($3.2 billion) over two years to expand cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith disclosed this in a statement.
The tech company stated that the investment will help teach almost 250,000 individuals with AI skills, or 2.4% of the population, helping to increase the competitiveness of the Nordic country.
At Sandviken, Gavle, and Staffanstorp in Sweden, the firm stated it will be installing 20 of the most cutting-edge graphics processing units (GPUs) as part of the investment.
Smith and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson are scheduled to meet in Stockholm shortly after the announcement.
“This announcement goes beyond technology, it’s a commitment to ensuring broad access to the tools and skills needed for Sweden’s people and economy to thrive in the AI era,” Smith said in a statement.
The US group pledged to invest four billion euros in France and promised a $2.9 billion AI push in Japan, among other nations, where it has recently announced comparable AI investments.
“AI is a catalyst for many things,” Kristersson said. “It will also help accelerate development in other areas. This huge investment in Sweden has the potential to pave the way for other investments.”
Microsoft declared its commitment to accelerating the use of AI in the Nordic region, which encompasses Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden in addition to Sweden.
It has acquired close to 1000 MW of renewable energy in Sweden and is also investing in renewable energy.
We earlier reported that Siemens, and multinational software giant, Microsoft, have teamed up for a new venture to increase productivity and help organizations bring products to market.
