To be developed in Mount Pleasant, the new datacentre campus to be built as part of the investment will help firms in Wisconsin and across the US to build, deploy and leverage advanced cloud services and AI applications to transform and enhance their products and enterprises
Microsoft to set up a datacentre campus in Wisconsin. (Credit: Jiaqian AirplaneFan/Wikimedia Commons)
Microsoft has revealed its plans to invest $3.3bn in Wisconsin through 2026 to set up a new datacentre campus in the American state for driving artificial intelligence (AI) innovation.
Through the investment, the technology major also aims to expand its national cloud and AI infrastructure capacity.
It has been announced as a broad investment package to boost Southeast Wisconsin’s role as a hub for AI-driven economic activity, innovation, and job creation. The investments will be launched by the company under a four-part strategy.
To be developed in Mount Pleasant, the new datacentre campus will help firms in Wisconsin and across the US to build, deploy, and leverage advanced cloud services and AI applications to transform and enhance their products and enterprises.
The project is also anticipated to generate 2,300 union construction jobs to the area by next year and provide long-term employment opportunities over the next several years.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said: “This is a watershed moment for Wisconsin and a critical part of our work to build a 21st-century workforce and economy in the Badger State.
“Microsoft is a blue-chip corporation that recognises the strength of Wisconsin’s workers, infrastructure, economy, and our quality of life. Microsoft has chosen to locate and invest here because they know the future is here in Wisconsin.”
As part of the investment, Microsoft intends to collaborate with Gateway Technical College to set up a data centre academy to train and certify over 1,000 students in five years. This will enable them to work in the new data centre and IT sector.
Besides, Microsoft will build a manufacturing focused AI co-innovation lab on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
The lab will bring together Wisconsin manufacturers and other companies towards Microsoft’s AI experts and developers to design and prototype AI and cloud solutions, expediting their work and growth of business.
Furthermore, the American company plans to partner with United Way Racine, United Way Wisconsin, and other community partners, to upskill over 100,000 people across Wisconsin by 2030 on generative AI.
Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith said: “Wisconsin has a rich and storied legacy of innovation and ingenuity in manufacturing.
“We will use the power of AI to help advance the next generation of manufacturing companies, skills and jobs in Wisconsin and across the country. This is what a big company can do to build a strong foundation for every medium, small and start-up company and non-profit everywhere.”