Microsoft announced its largest investment in France, a $4.3 billion (€4 billion) package designed to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technologies in the country.
The investment will expand Microsoft’s cloud and AI infrastructure in France, bringing up to 25,000 advanced GPUs to the country by the end of 2025. The company will expand its datacenter footprint across existing sites in Paris and Marseille regions and invest in planning a new datacenter campus in the Grand Est Region, in Mulhouse Alsace Agglomération.
Microsoft will support skilling for one million people in France by the end of 2027, focusing on job seekers, students, SMBs, and professional audiences to develop AI-related skills.
The investment package also includes initiatives to support the French startup ecosystem. Microsoft aims to engage over 2,500 startups by 2027 through its new flagship program, Microsoft GenAI Studio. The program will provide AI expertise, cloud credits, and support activities, including collaboration with customers and partners.
Microsoft has been operating in France since 1983 and employs more than 2,100 people in the country.
The announcement was made during the Choose France summit by Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft, and Corine de Bilbao, corporate vice-president of Microsoft France.
[Image courtesy: Microsoft]