Microsoft unveiled a $400 million investment to bolster Switzerland’s AI and cloud computing capabilities, marking a major expansion of its infrastructure in the country.
Announced during a meeting in Bern between Swiss economy minister Guy Parmelin and Microsoft president and vice chair Brad Smith, the investment will be directed toward expanding and upgrading the company’s four data centres located near Geneva and Zurich.
As part of the upgrade, the software giant plans to introduce advanced AI infrastructure aimed at regulated sectors such as finance, healthcare and government. Microsoft stated the upgrade is expected to serve more than 50,000 existing customers.
Beyond infrastructure, Microsoft also committed to increasing collaboration with local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and enhancing digital skills development. The plan also includes a nationwide AI skilling initiative targeting 1 million people by 2027 as the company vies to step up its training programmes in a bid to boost AI adoption.
Internationally, the company also plans to intensify its cooperation with Geneva-based UN agencies to use AI in humanitarian and rights-focused initiatives.
Smith noted the investment will help “further strengthen Switzerland’s long-term economic resilience and competitiveness, while ensuring full compliance with Swiss regulations”, hailing the country as a global leader in innovation.
According to Reuters, although the company currently employs 1,000 people in Switzerland, it did not disclose how many new roles the investment would create.
The move comes in response to growing demand for generative AI (genAI) and cloud services across the country, with the company noting increased usage of its Azure OpenAI model in Switzerland since mid-2023. In addition, the country now ranks second globally for GitHub AI contributors while AI usage across Microsoft’s local customer base rose 3 percentage points to 31 per cent over the past six months.
The latest news comes after Microsoft announced a $705 million AI and cloud investment in Poland earlier this year.