Microsoft doubles down on Europe, investing $3.2 billion in Sweden, targeting AI and cloud, benefiting 250,000 local talents

On Monday, June 3rd, Microsoft announced its plan to invest 33.7 billion Swedish Krona (approximately 3.2 billion US dollars) to expand cloud services and AI infrastructure in Sweden, with an expected completion within two years.

This investment is not an isolated case. Previously, Microsoft has invested in building data centers in the UK, Germany, and Spain, due to the surge in demand for cloud services driven by the development of generative AI technology. As a result, Microsoft, along with companies like Amazon, have been investing heavily in constructing data centers in Europe.

Moreover, the demand for advanced chips that support these complex applications is also rapidly increasing. As part of the expansion plan, Microsoft will deploy 20,000 state-of-the-art GPUs in data centers in locations like Sandviken, Sweden, to significantly enhance computing speed. Microsoft President Brad Smith revealed in an interview:

"They will announce more related plans this fall, Microsoft plans to use chips from NVIDIA, AMD, and may even consider transitioning to using self-developed chips in the future."

Furthermore, Microsoft is committed to promoting AI literacy across the entire Nordic region, including Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway. The company plans to train 250,000 Swedes in AI skills over the next three years through schools, universities, public sectors, and broader social organizations.

Additionally, Microsoft is actively investing in renewable energy and has already purchased nearly 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy in Sweden.

Goldman Sachs predicts that as tech companies continue to invest in data centers to train their energy-intensive large language models, the rapid development of AI will bring nearly $1 trillion in development opportunities to the entire industry