Microsoft to Invest $700 Million Poland’s AI Sector
US tech giant Microsoft has said that it intends to spend $700 million to expand its hyper-scale cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in Poland, as well as collaborate with Polish National Defence to establish a framework to strengthen national cybersecurity by June 2026.
The investment will support the growth of the existing datacenter campuses, bringing an expanding set of Azure services to meet the demand of customers in the region, Microsoft said on Monday.
This investment is designed to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence and cloud technologies, and increase the country’s economic competitiveness by stimulating the development and adoption of digital technology, equipping Polish citizens with skills to put AI to use, and creating new jobs in the country’s growing digital sector.
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that this is an investment in the country’s future, its security, youth, start-ups, and scholars. This is an investment that will provide Poles, especially the younger generation, with access to the most modern tools and opportunities offered by the best in the world.
He also said that this mutual trust and the fact that we can operate in the most challenging areas, such as cybersecurity. Microsoft will also be conducting AI training in Poland. Tools, money, and investments are important, as is cooperation with the local people and companies, but they will achieve the desired effects also by taking advantage of training opportunities.
Strengthening National Cybersecurity
According to the latest edition of the Microsoft Digital Defence report, Poland ranks 3rd in Europe and 9th in the world in terms of exposure to attacks from cybercriminal organizations sponsored by foreign nations.
The challenges faced by countries in this part of Europe, including the security of the upcoming presidential elections in Poland, are multiplying and triggering an increasingly strong impulse for specific actions aimed at protecting citizens from cyber threats.
Microsoft will partner with Polish National Defence to establish a framework to strengthen national cybersecurity, including working together on the development of AI competencies and the application of Emerging Disruptive technologies – cloud computing models, AI and quantum.
Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft, said that they were committed to helping to protect Poland’s cybersecurity and cyber resilience.
“Microsoft’s data center investment is a vote of confidence in Poland’s leadership and economy. Our goal is to bring the most advanced AI infrastructure to every sector of the Polish economy, strengthening the nation’s economic competitiveness,” Smith added.
Data Center in Poland
Microsoft opened its Polish data center region in April 2023, the first in Central and Eastern Europe, in response to strong demand for its highly trusted and scalable enterprise-grade cloud solutions from Polish organisations of all sizes.
Customers across various industries in Poland, including healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and retail, are already reaping the benefits of cloud technology.
In addition to employing full-time employees and contractors to run and service Microsoft’s Polish data center region, data center investments represent an ongoing capital-intensive and long-term commitment to the local community and region it serves.
To enable equitable access to technology, educational tools and digital skills that foster economic opportunities, Microsoft has a longstanding commitment of providing donated and discounted software to Polish educational institutions, non-profit organisations, public libraries, and museums. Over the past year, that commitment exceeded $80 million in Poland.
This includes AI solutions like Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat in Microsoft 365 Education, AI-powered Learning Accelerators, Microsoft Teams for Education, and accessibility tools designed to empower all learners, as well as Azure, Dynamics 365, Microsoft 365, and more for non-profit organizations across the country.
