Copyright dailyfinland
Microsoft will invest more than 10 billion U.S. dollars in a data center project in Sines, Portugal, company president Brad Smith announced Tuesday at the Web Summit in Lisbon, reported Xinhua. The company plans to begin deploying capital in early 2026, bringing 12,600 next-generation Nvidia Blackwell Ultra GB30 graphics cards to the Start Campus site, according to local media reports. Microsoft described the initiative as one of the largest AI computing investments in Europe, positioning Portugal as a leader in secure and sustainable AI development. Smith highlighted Sines' strategic role as a landing point for transatlantic submarine cables linking North America and Europe. He said Portugal's affordable energy, favorable climate, and strong broadband infrastructure put it in a strong position to attract future investment. Portuguese Minister of State Reform Goncalo Matias said Monday that the government aims to make Portugal a leading European hub for AI "gigafactories," with total investments projected to exceed 16 billion euros (18.56 billion U.S. dollars). He said the government is backing a national proposal, submitted by Portuguese Development Bank (Banco Portugues de Fomento), for an AI gigafactory in Sines worth about 4 billion euros, combining public and private funds. The Web Summit, held in Lisbon since 2016, gathers global entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors to discuss technology trends. This year's event, running until Thursday, features more than 70,000 participants, 2,500 startups, and over 1,000 investors. It also includes the China Summit, with a dedicated stage highlighting China's advances in AI, deep-tech research, and industrial transformation.
