Microsoft launches Innovation Factory to promote Artificial Intelligence in Portugal

The announcement was made at the opening session of the Building The Future. Microsoft, in partnership with Accenture, Avanade and Unicorn Factory Lisbon, will launch a AI Innovation Factory, with the aim of accelerating the adoption of Artificial Intelligence by public and private companies in Portugal.

A AI Innovation Factory is an initiative by Microsoft Portugal that aims to promote the adoption of Artificial Intelligence in different industries and sectors in order to contribute to the country’s sustainable growth through new digital innovation scenarios, “accelerated by connecting to an ecosystem of startups and digital natives ” – says the company in a statement.

Still in the construction phase, the AI ​​Innovation Factory will be integrated into the Unicorn Factory’s AI Hub, in Alvalade, with a scheduled opening date of November 2024. Until then, the entire AI Innovation Factory program will take place at Microsoft’s facilities at Parque das Nações or at the headquarters of one of the partners.

Over the next few months, partners in this project “will offer companies a platform for inspiration and ideation, with access to demonstrations and real cases, where industry and technology experts will facilitate the identification of opportunities and prioritization of use cases, following the best practices on the market, supported by proven methodologies design thinking”.

Microsoft also took the opportunity to present its most recent study developed in partnership with IDC, “From expectation to success: Achieving business success with AI in Europe – Portugal”.

The study reflects on the way in which companies are making the most of their investments in AI and finds that organizations at national level are in line with European sentiment about the implementation of AI, with 62% using this technology and 25% using consider its use over the next 24 months.

At the moment the three main use cases verified in Portugal, are based on data analytics advanced, virtual assistants or chatbots, such as the project developed by the Administrative Modernization Agency, and the optimization of processes.