Microsoft has made a substantial digital transformation investment in Greece, creating an initiative called “GR for GRowth.”
The initiative — announced on October 5 — is a technology commitment that will help create new opportunities for growth in the country. One part of the overall initiative will be the construction of new datacenters that will establish a Microsoft Cloud region in the country.
These datacenters bring Microsoft’s total global footprint of cloud regions to 63.
As a support measure, Microsoft is also planning to skill approximately 100,000 people in the country in digital technologies by 2025.
An important day for Greece, as Microsoft announces its largest investment in 28 years of operating here – an investment with multilevel economic significance, but also great social return. Thank you @BradSmi for your vote of confidence in the Greek economy and the Greek people. pic.twitter.com/ambdhMxqBH
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) October 5, 2020
At the announcement, Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis said:
“Today’s commitment to the people and businesses of Greece will position the country among the digital leaders of Europe. A Microsoft datacenter region provides a competitive advantage to our digital economy. At the same time, it is a long-term investment and a vote of confidence in our country’s potential. The cloud is transforming every industry and sector. The investment in skilling 100,000 citizens will empower today and tomorrow’s Greek workforce.”
I was excited to join Prime Minister @kmitsotakis today in Athens to announce that Microsoft will build datacenters in Greece — the largest investment we’ve made in the 28 years we’ve operated here. This reflects our optimism in Greece’s future and economic recovery. pic.twitter.com/mimRtCsTY5
— Brad Smith (@BradSmi) October 5, 2020
Brad Smith, president of Microsoft added:
“By a substantial margin, this is the largest investment Microsoft has made in Greece in the 28 years we have been operating here. In part, this reflects confidence that our world-leading datacenter technology can help enable innovation and growth across Greece’s economy. In addition, this large investment reflects our optimism about Greece’s future, its forward-leaning government, and the country’s ongoing economic recovery.”
The impact on Greece
For companies, startups, and institutions in Greece, this announcement means they’ll be able to harness the power of cloud computing — keeping in mind cybersecurity, data residency, and compliance standards, as explained in the company’s press release.
While many companies in Greece are using Microsoft’s cloud, a number of others have committed to signing on once they’ll be available from the forthcoming region.
As previously noted, to support the digital transformation of public and private organizations, Microsoft aims to upskill an estimated 100,000 public sector, business and IT professionals, educators, and students.
This aspect of the overall initiative will take place over the next five years via online and physical courses and workshops.
A cultural celebration
One interesting role Microsoft’s cloud services will play is in highlighting and preserving Greece’s culture.
The company’s AI for Cultural Heritage program will collaborate with the Ministry of Culture and Sports to bring to life the Ancient City of Olympia. Available in 2021, visitors will be able to experience the UNESCO World Heritage Site as if they were there 3,000 years ago.
