AI has introduced a transformative era in scientific discovery. In the hands of researchers, innovators, and startups, it is accelerating breakthroughs from advancing medical research to powering new manufacturing capabilities and energy transitions.
For Microsoft, the real promise of AI emerges when we bring our powerful tools together with problem solvers in local communities. For the past eight years, Microsoft has been sharing knowledge and collaborating with communities to unlock opportunity through Microsoft TechSpark, an economic development, skilling, and community-building program across the US. Since its inception, TechSpark has helped create more than 4,500 jobs and contributed more than $700 million in community funding to support local initiatives.
Today, we’re announcing a new milestone in our TechSpark program: a pioneering partnership with leading innovation centers—TitletownTech, in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the New Jersey (NJ) AI Hub, in partnership with Princeton University. Together, we’re launching a new model for scientific collaboration that combines the agility of a startup, the expertise of a university, and the technology of a global company.
Through this partnership, Microsoft will provide the Microsoft Discovery platform to TitletownTech and NJ AI Hub and access to the latest advancements in AI and high-performance computing that promise to accelerate scientific discovery. We believe this kind of alliance is essential to ensure that breakthroughs in science and solutions to global challenges are not confined to a few but shared broadly for the benefit of all.
A new model for scientific discovery
Researchers and innovators from these organizations will have an opportunity to access Microsoft Discovery, an advanced agentic AI platform designed to accelerate scientific breakthroughs. They will also benefit from the expertise of the Microsoft Discovery and Quantum team, under the leadership of Jason Zander. Currently available only in private preview, this opportunity enables researchers to leverage state-of-the-art AI and high-performance computing to collaborate with a team of specialized AI agents combined with a graph-based knowledge engine to drive scientific outcomes with speed, scale, and accuracy.
Through Microsoft Discovery, researchers can speed up scientific discovery by analyzing vast amounts of data, simulating experiments, and uncovering new materials and solutions more efficiently. The platform facilitates effective collaboration, bringing together teams of specialized AI agents and human experts for continuous, iterative investigation. This dynamic environment helps organizations refine their knowledge, learn from their results, and innovate in ways that were previously unimaginable.
What makes this partnership unique is its focus on real breakthroughs in chemistry, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and AI-driven innovation. Building on years of TechSpark collaboration, this initiative is not just another corporate research and development center or a one-off research grant. Instead, we are creating a shared undertaking, deeply rooted in engagement with local communities and aligned around the promise of AI. By blending the strengths of top research universities with the cutting-edge infrastructure of the NJ AI Hub and TitletownTech Labs and Microsoft’s role as an industry convener, we hope to set the stage for transformative progress.
Collaborating for real-world impact
While we are still in the early days of what’s possible, we are dedicated to discovering what can be achieved when our institutions work together to accelerate science and innovation.
This technology could be a game-changer for environmental challenges like plastic waste. For example, Microsoft Discovery can enable modeling of complex chemical reactions, unlocking new pathways for catalyst design in recycling systems. This would enable more efficient, selective, and controlled recycling processes, fewer costly lab experiments, and faster innovation. In the future, advances like these could empower researchers to turn plastic waste into valuable resources.
In Microsoft’s own labs, the integration of high-performance computing and AI into Microsoft Discovery is already unlocking new scenarios. For instance, our researchers used Discovery’s advanced AI systems and HPC capabilities to discover a novel sustainable coolant prototype for datacenter immersion cooling—moving from digital discovery to synthesis in just four months.
Looking ahead
We are putting the Microsoft Discovery platform into the hands of innovators, like those at TitletownTech and the NJ AI Hub, to fuel innovation and demonstrate real-world impact.
In the coming weeks, we will work to enable access to Microsoft Discovery for these labs under the private preview, and as we roll out the Discovery platform availability to the public, we will continue to work with these partners and other researchers and universities to ensure we expand opportunity for scientific discovery through AI.
It’s only with a strong ecosystem that we’ll be able to realize the full potential of Microsoft Discovery, and it’s why we’re working with these partners and others to bring first-party advancements together with leading industry tools and domain expertise.
With this new chapter for our TechSpark partners, we reaffirm our commitment to championing innovation and discovery alongside the brilliant local innovators across Wisconsin and New Jersey. Together, we look forward to shaping the future of science for everyone.