Microsoft has committed to providing “digital stability” through a time of geopolitical volatility, with the company announcing plans to boost European data centre capacity by 40 per cent over the next two years.

As part of several new digital commitments in Europe, the tech giant plans to expand data centre operations in 16 European countries.

The company will also build an “AI and cloud ecosystem” in Europe, in a bid to uphold the continent’s digital resilience, protecting the privacy of European data, defending Europe’s cybersecurity and strengthening Europe’s economic competitiveness.

The move will more than double Microsoft’s data centre capacity between 2023 and 2027, resulting in cloud operations in over 200 data centres across the continent.

As part of the commitment, Microsoft said it will appoint a deputy chief information security officer (CISO) for Europe as part of the Microsoft Cybersecurity Governance Council.
The new hire, who has yet to be appointed, will focus on Microsoft’s security responsibilities in Europe.

The company said the new role reflects the importance and global influence of EU cybersecurity regulations.

The Deputy CISO for Europe will be accountable for compliance with current and emerging cybersecurity regulations in Europe, including the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), the NIS 2 Directive, and the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA).

“As a multinational company, we believe in trans-Atlantic ties that promote mutual economic growth and prosperity,” the company said in a blog post. “We were pleased the Trump administration and the European Union recently agreed to suspend further tariff escalation while they seek to negotiate a reciprocal trade agreement.

“We hope that successful talks can resolve tariff issues and reduce non-tariff barriers, consistent with the recommendations in the recent Draghi report.”

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