With the presentation of an integrated program of cooperation with Municipality of Spata for the support of the local community in the fields of Education, Work and Culture, preliminary work has begun for the construction of the Data Center in Spata, as part of the strategic investment implemented by Microsoft in Greece, as announced.

In an informative meeting he had with representatives of the press, the CEO of Microsoft Greece, Cyprus and Malta, Gianna Andronopoulou, spoke about the importance for the company of building a relationship of trust with the society of Spata, with the aim of creating targeted added value in the area from the construction of the Date Center. The cooperation with the Municipality of Spata aims to highlight the great cultural and historical heritage of the region, create opportunities for its residents and prescribe an ambitious future by investing through education in the new generation that attends the ten public schools of the region.

education

In particular, the program provides students with access to the educational and training game Minecraft Education in order to, with the guidance of their teachers and professors, “redesign” their city by applying environmentally sustainable principles. This collective exercise will coincide with the start of work on the Microsoft Data Center, which will, among other things, operate with a zero footprint on the environment, powered by 100% energy from renewable sources.

WORK

At the same time, Microsoft in collaboration with the Municipality of Spata – Artemisa will offer residents of the area free learning and certification of modern digital skills, of different levels, depending on the particular needs of the beneficiaries: From basic training for vulnerable population groups to more specialized training and certifications which open new career paths for the beneficiaries.

CIVILIZATION

In the context of preserving the local cultural heritage, Microsoft in collaboration with Istorima and its co-founder Sofia Papaioannou are launching “cloud stories”.

Hiring young women and men from the Spata region as local researchers who will highlight the stories of the people of the local community. Already the first two researchers who were introduced to the journalistic public – Maria Kontakis and Anastasis Rebuskos – made reference, among other things, to the rich histories of the place, talking about the Arvanites, the vineyards and the customs of the region,

Regarding the start of the work, Mrs. Andronopoulou said she was proud that Microsoft opened the way for investments in digital infrastructure in Greece. He said that after the necessary maturation period, the approval of the relevant studies, the issuance of the Presidential Decree and the permission for preliminary works, the construction of the Data Center begins immediately.

Mrs. Andronopoulou also spoke about the “GRforGrowth 2.0 the AI ​​era” initiative, which is an evolution of “GrforGrowth” in the context of which Microsoft Hellas has trained 60,000 people in new digital skills and has certified more than 20,000.

The second phase of the initiative continues to democratize access to digital education – with an eye now on Artificial Intelligence. Already, in collaboration with ReGenaration, Microsoft Hellas implements the AI ​​360 School which trains and certifies 1000 people from all over the country for free with the aim of immediate employment of at least 50%. With equal representation of women & men, the program is for the first time also aimed at people 45+ with or without a STEM and/or computer science educational background. This is the first and largest AI training/certification initiative for the country.

“GRforGrowth 2.0 the AI ​​era”, will focus on three pillars: Learning, work and innovation, with actions and collaborations that will contribute to the emergence of an ecosystem of people, businesses and organizations that will make the promise of Artificial Intelligence a reality in Greece.

The Managing Director of Microsoft Greece, Cyprus and Malta, Mrs. Gianna Andronopoulou, said: “At Microsoft Greece today we are triple happy and proud. Firstly, because by starting the construction of the Data Center in Spata, we are paving the way for the country to become a regional hub for digital data and we are sending the message that Greece is an ideal destination for investments in digital infrastructure. The Data Center further democratizes technology by allowing every business and organization access to fast, secure and affordable cloud services, depending on their needs. Secondly, because we are launching a new paradigm of collaboration with the local community, acting not only as an accelerator of its digital transition but also as a fellow traveler on its historic journey. Finally, because Microsoft’s technological excellence in artificial intelligence allows us to multiply the impact of our initiatives and provide even more opportunities for people, businesses and organizations to achieve more with the help of technology.”

The Mayor of Spaton-Artemidos, Mr. Dimitris Markou and the journalist Sofia Papaioannou, co-founder of Istorima, also spoke at the informative event. The Deputy Regional Governor of Attica, Mrs. Christina Kefalogianni, addressed a greeting.