Global tech giant Microsoft, on Wednesday, said it will invest $2.9 billion in Japan, making it the single largest investment in its 46-year existence in the region. The investment will be initiated over the next two years to increase its hyper-scale cloud computing and AI infrastructure in Japan.
The firm said it aims to expand its digital skilling programs to provide AI skills to over 3 million people in the next three years. The deal was finalized after Fumio Kishida, Japanese Prime Minister met Brad Smith, Microsoft Vice Chair and President and Miki Tsusaka, Microsoft Japan President in the United States.
The tech company established its first international office in Japan. The region, thus, doubles the company’s financial commitment to expand AI and infrastructure. Microsoft Research, a division of Microsoft is extending its footprints in the Asia-Pacific region by opening a lab in Tokyo.
Most recently, the company’s global peer Amazon Web Services (AWS) said it is looking to invest $5.3 billion as well as to launch an AWS infrastructure region in Saudi Arabia (SA) in 2026.
The firm said it will invest $10 million in resource grants over the next five years to the educational institutions in Japan for Artificial Intelligence Research.
In late March, the Windows parent appointed Mustafa Suleyman, Co-Founder of Google’s DeepMind as Executive Chief of its newly launched division Microsoft AI.
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