Microsoft will invest $2.1 billion to expand its artificial intelligence and cloud services infrastructure in Spain. The investment, which will be made over the next two years, was announced after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Microsoft Corp President Brad Smith held a meeting earlier this week. It means quadrupling the flow of funds from the tech giant to the Iberian state.
La inversión de @Microsoft en España se va a cuadruplicar y llegará hasta los 1.950 M€.
Quiero agradecer a su presidente, @BradSmi, su confianza en la economía española y en nuestra hoja de ruta para una transformación digital inclusiva y segura.
Además, hemos analizado las… pic.twitter.com/0PG1tZL08e
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) February 19, 2024
Smith said it was not just about building data centres, but a commitment to help develop the “security, development and digital transformation of the country’s government, businesses and people”.
He added that the tech giant has been investing in Spain for 37 years. In September 2021, the company announced that a new artificial intelligence technology research and development centre would be established in Barcelona. It was then that Alberto Granados, president of Microsoft Spain, said that Microsoft’s investment is proof that Spain has the necessary potential to develop the digital sector.
This is the second major investment Microsoft has made in Europe within a month. Recall that last week the company invested 3 billion euros in the development of the artificial intelligence ecosystem in Germany.
Similar to its plans in Spain, over the next two years Microsoft has pledged to invest the funds in strengthening the AI infrastructure in Germany, building new data centres and training people to develop AI skills.
Major technology companies are increasing their presence in Europe by investing in the development of artificial intelligence, which in turn coincides with the implementation of EU legislation on artificial intelligence.
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