The question that many people have now is microsoft “Why Wisconsin?'' The decision to invest $3.3 billion in an artificial intelligence data center in Racine County vs. the West Coast, the East Coast, or overseas.
Simply put, Microsoft leaders who are familiar with the state see it as a place where AI innovation in manufacturing can be realized quickly and with a solid return on investment.
Each year, Wisconsin ranks either first or second for the percentage of workers employed in manufacturing, often swapping places with Indiana. In fact, when we asked ChatGPT4 which industrial sectors in Wisconsin are best positioned to benefit from AI, we received the following answers: food and beverage processing, industrial machinery and equipment, auto parts, medical equipment and equipment, chemicals and plastics, paper products, and electronics and electrical equipment.
“I'm not sure that if you put this data center in almost any other part of the country, you would get much of the potential benefit,” he said. buckley brinkmanis led by Wisconsin Manufacturing and Productivity Center He has been an advocate of introducing new technologies into national industries, large and small.
The reason is very simple. AI helps Wisconsin manufacturers increase efficiency and productivity. Predict maintenance downtime more accurately. Optimize your supply chain. and control quality. Its predictive properties help reduce energy use and waste on the front end and avoid costly mistakes and downtime on the back end.
“AI will be transformative,” Brinkman said. “What's important is that we make products that are competitive around the world. And we build on the strengths that Wisconsin has: the hands-on efforts of our manufacturing industry and the people who support it.”
People who were excited at first (including my current company) foxconn After announcing plans in 2017 to invest $10 billion in a flat panel screen manufacturing plant in Racine County, Microsoft's announcement Wednesday may be viewed with skepticism.
However, there are some key differences, including the fact that Microsoft appears to be under-promising and over-delivering. Foxconn's prediction of up to 13,000 jobs quickly came true, but Microsoft based its March 2023 announcement of 460 jobs on a much smaller footprint. . Originally 315 acres, he now has 1,345 acres and his total investment in real estate alone is $226 million, much of which is already shovel-ready.
There are other reasons to believe Microsoft will follow through.Let's start with the president brad smith and Satya Nadella's chairman and CEO both have ties to Wisconsin. Smith was born and raised in Wisconsin. Nadella holds a degree from the University of Milwaukee.
The company also Title Town Techis a venture capital firm established in partnership with . green bay packers And Microsoft. The company has done a lot to invest in startup companies and accelerate development, especially in Green Bay.
Microsoft seems more willing than Foxconn to rely on other Wisconsin resources to help make the whole project work. This includes the AI ​​Collaborative Innovation Institute. Milwaukee, Wisconsintraining contract with gateway technical college Located in southeastern Wisconsin and related to generatora Wisconsin-born accelerator with locations across the country and internationally.
Finally, the indigenous feel surrounding this project is aided by its location adjacent to I-94, which I have long referred to as the “IQ Corridor.” The “I” stands for interstate and innovation, while the “Q” suggests quality. . There's a good reason Microsoft is part of a corridor that stretches south to Chicago and north and west to Green Bay, the Fox Valley, and Madison.
Did this announcement come in a year of tumultuous state politics? of course. Some people may have doubts just by looking at the situation. But in a world where artificial intelligence is already proliferating, Microsoft's data centers are all about the right time and the right place.
tom still He is the president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. You can contact him at: news@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com.