wisconsin economic development

The wisconsin economic development tag follows Microsoft’s transformation of former Foxconn land in Mount Pleasant into AI infrastructure. Coverage centers on the first Fairwater data center, which Microsoft says became fully operational in June 2026 on a 315-acre site, with nearly 550 full-time workers. The story examines how a high-profile failed manufacturing project has been repurposed into a major compute investment and what that shift could mean for Wisconsin’s economic future. It also tracks the planned second facility, expected in 2028, and the broader transition from traditional factory development to data center and AI infrastructure projects.