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This is Microsoft’s biggest investment in Italy and will make the Italy North region one of its largest data centre regions in Europe.
Microsoft will be investing €4.3bn in Italy to expand its cloud and AI data centre infrastructure and provide digital skills training to more than 1m Italians by the end of 2025.
The announcement made yesterday (2 October) brings about Microsoft’s biggest investment in Italy to date, making the Italy North region one of Microsoft’s largest data centre regions in Europe, serving as a key hub for the Mediterranean and North Africa.
The software giant intends to collaborate with industry partners, universities, non-profit organisations and government institutions to train and upskill Italian workers in AI fluency, technical AI skills and the promotion of safe and responsible AI development.
Microsoft will also launch initiatives to skill workers from disadvantaged communities, the announcement read.
“Our Italy North region will continue in accelerating digital transformation and skills in Italy, ensuring that no one is left behind,” said Vincenzo Esposito, general manager at Microsoft Italy.
This commitment is the latest in Microsoft’s European investments. Earlier this year, Microsoft made a similarly large AI and cloud investment in Spain, which which was preceded by another large investment in Germany.
The announcement said that Microsoft’s investment in northern Italy will play a crucial role in meeting its European data boundary requirement, a geographic boundary within which Microsoft stores and processes customer and personal data. EU customer data is rarely transferred outside this boundary.
Microsoft said that adopting generative AI technology could boost Italy’s annual GDP by up to €312bn in the next 15 years while adding a value increase of €122bn to SMEs and ‘made in Italy’ companies.
Brad Smith, the vice-chair and president of Microsoft, said that “this landmark investment underscores our long-standing commitment to Italy’s digital transformation”.
“By expanding access to our AI technology and expertise, we are equipping the Italian government, businesses and the broader workforce with the tools to build an AI-driven economy that creates jobs and drives prosperity.”
Just days earlier, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni met with Larry Fink, CEO of US investment firm BlackRock, to discuss possible investments by the company in Italy to develop data centres, transport and investment opportunities in other strategic sectors. The two agreed to set up an “ad hoc” working group coordinated by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers to implement the projects that would be developed.
Last month, Microsoft and BlackRock partnered to invest in data centres to support the growth of AI, primarily in the US. However, the two will also invest some of the funding into “US partner countries”.
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