Microsoft Corporation announced a broad investment package designed to strengthen the role of Southeast Wisconsin as a hub for AI-powered economic activity, innovation, and job creation. These investments include $3.3 billion in cloud computing and AI infrastructure, the creation of the country's first manufacturing-focused AI co-innovation lab, and an AI skilling initiative to equip more than 100,000 of the state's residents with essential AI skills. These investments will be rolled out in a four-part strategy designed to create long-term benefits for the state's economy and job market.

First, Microsoft will invest $3.3 billion between now and the end of 2026 to expand its national cloud and AI infrastructure capacity through the development of a datacenter campus in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin. The project is expected to bring an influx of 2,300 union construction jobs to the area by 2025, as well as providing long-term employment opportunities over the next several years. This new infrastructure will help enable companies in Wisconsin and across the country to develop, deploy and use the world's most advanced cloud services and AI applications to grow, modernize and improve their products and enterprises.

Along with building a physical data center, Microsoft will partner with Gateway Technical College to build a Data Center Academy to train and certify more than 1,000 students in five years to work in the new data center and IT sector jobs created in the area. Transforming businesses of all sizes in every industry: Second, to help build a thriving regional AI innovation economy, Microsoft will establish a manufacturing focused AI Co-Innovation Lab on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Mil Milwaukee, the first of its kind in the United States. This lab will connect Wisconsin manufacturers and other companies with Microsoft's AI experts and developers to design and prototype AI and cloud solutions to improve and accelerate their work and grow their business.

Microsoft and the Packers are similarly partnering to help fund the new lab in Milwaukee, which will be staffed in part by Microsoft AI experts and venture experts from TitletownTech. Third, reflecting the critical role of education and training in AI transformation, Microsoft will partner with United Way Wisconsin, United Way Racine, and other community partners, to upskill more than 100,000 people across Wisconsin by 2030 on generative AI. Rein reinforcing the community's central role and finally, a strong and vibrant community.

That's why Microsoft will invest in a series of long-term local education and youth employment programs to support the very community that is supporting us. In partnership with the Racine Unified School District (RUSD), Microsoft will work with Girls in STEM to expand its program to two additional RUSD middle schools. This expansion will provide access to STEM education for more than 500 middle school-aged girls over the next five years.

Through investment and partnerships with local community organizations, Microsoft will look to contribute to a thriving and growing Southeastern Wisconsin, helping support a community where opportunity is available for everyone. These announcements build on Wisconsin's heritage of business innovation and Microsoft's history of investment in the state. In 2017, Microsoft announced TechSpark, an ecosystem building program to accelerate economic opportunity and job creation now active in all 50 states.

Microsoft has invested in the startup and a new platform for the state.