Miami will be home to first US-based Microsoft Innovation Center

A number of new Microsoft Innovation Centers are to be opened across the US, with the first appearing in Miami some time this spring. The centers are designed to boost innovation, improve employment and help to raise technological skill levels in the area. The Miami center will be located at Venture Hive in downtown Miami.

Microsoft’s vice president of Developer and Platform Evangelism, Sanket Akerkar said: “By building the center in the heart of Miami and making it available to the people, we’re helping empower the city to become a more prosperous place to live and work… [it] signals our commitment to providing our cities and local communities with resources and technology that help spur economic development and create opportunities for shared learning.”

New startups will be able to use the centers to access tools and technology from Microsoft, and will be able to work with technical specialists to help overcome problems. One of the aims of the centers is to feed technically skilled workers to government positions, but there will also be a focus on equipping other students with the skills and knowledge require to make progress in the workplace.

Working in conjunction with local community partners, the Miami Microsoft Innovation Center will serve as a link for key communities in the Latin American region, as well as promoting innovation. Miami major, Tomas Regalado, said: “Having the first Microsoft Innovation Center in the U.S. located in Miami demonstrates that our technology community is not only growing, it’s thriving”.

Miami’s center is part of Microsoft’s CityNext initiative which aims to aid towns and cities by helping “to create a healthier, safer and more sustainable place to live.”