Microsoft has announced “a broad investment package” in Wisconsin, designed to help develop Southeast Wisconsin as an AI hub.

Microsoft says the investment will help spur AI-related jobs, as well as help build cloud computing and AI infrastructure in the area. The company says more than 100,000 of Wisconsin’s residents will be trained with essential AI skills.

“Wisconsin has a rich and storied legacy of innovation and ingenuity in manufacturing,” said Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft. “We will use the power of AI to help advance the next generation of manufacturing companies, skills and jobs in Wisconsin and across the country. This is what a big company can do to build a strong foundation for every medium, small and start-up company and non-profit everywhere.”

The investment will take place between now and the end of 2026 and will bring an estimated 2,300 union construction jobs as Microsoft expands “its national cloud and AI infrastructure capacity through the development of a state-of-the-art datacenter campus in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin.”

Microsoft says it will also build a Data Center Academy in partnership with Gateway Technical College to train and certify more than 1,000 students for work in the new data center.

“This is a watershed moment for Wisconsin and a critical part of our work to build a 21st-century workforce and economy in the Badger State,” said Governor Tony Evers. “Microsoft is a blue-chip corporation that recognizes the strength of Wisconsin’s workers, infrastructure, economy, and our quality of life. Microsoft has chosen to locate and invest here because they know the future is here in Wisconsin.”

Microsoft will also establish an AI Co-Innovation Lab on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, with a focus on manufacturing. The company says the lab will be the first of its kind in the US, connecting companies with Microsoft’s AI developers and experts.

The Green Bay Packers are joining with Microsoft in funding the Milwaukee lab, building on an existing partnership between the two organizations.

“The Green Bay Packers are excited to continue our partnership with Microsoft, which we first established with TitletownTech near Lambeau Field, and now will expand and enhance as we collaborate with the AI Co-Innovation Lab,” said Mark Murphy, President and CEO of the Green Bay Packers.