Björn Ebert, Financial Services Leader at PwC Luxembourg; Credit: PwC Luxembourg

On Thursday 14 March 2024, PwC Luxembourg and Microsoft announced their strategic collaboration for the launch of the "GenAI Business Center", located at the PwC Experience Center in Luxembourg.

The companies noted that this collaboration marks a significant investment in helping people and organisations thrive with artificial intelligence (AI). The business centre will start gradually opening in April 2024.

This follows PwC's global strategic collaboration with Microsoft creating scalable offerings using Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and Copilot for Microsoft 365 to help support clients in reimagining their organisations. Earlier in 2023, PwC also invested, through its relationship with Microsoft, over €1 billion globally to expand and scale AI and drive human-led, tech-powered transformation.

According to PwC and Microsoft, the GenAI Business Center is "designed to be a state-of-the-art hub for innovation, highlighting how the integration of PwC's industry expertise with Microsoft's advanced AI and technology solutions can come together to address complex business challenges, and unlock new opportunities, allowing companies to become more innovative, resilient and adaptable." 

The centre will feature:

  • Executive Engagement and Thought Leadership: strategic sessions for business leaders to engage with experts from PwC and Microsoft;
  • Industry Scenarios and GenAI Demonstrations: tailored demonstrations to specific industry needs;
  • Collaborative Innovation Workshops: leveraging PwC's Experience Center methodology to foster creativity and co-creation;
  • GenAI Hackathons: events to catalyse innovation and develop new business models;
  • Showcasing Success Stories: real-world examples of technology and strategic consulting driving business outcomes.

The GenAI Business Center will explore key Microsoft technologies, including Azure OpenAI Service, Azure Cognitive Services, Azure AI Studio, Microsoft Fabric, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, Power Platform, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Copilot and Copilot for Finance.

Through the PwC Luxembourg GenAI Business Center, enabled by Microsoft, PwC is aiming to turn its AI experience and knowledge into business outcomes for its clients. The new centre is expected to help boost GenAI adoption, driving the necessary investment returns in a safe and secure way. According to PwC and Microsoft, this comes at a time of opportunity for businesses but also at a time when technology needs to be applied with great responsibility. 

PwC Luxembourg and Microsoft have committed themselves to providing the necessary resources and expertise to ensure the success of the GenAI Business Center. This collaboration represents a shared vision for the future of AI in business, driving growth, innovation and sustained outcomes with trustworthy and responsible AI applications, noted the strategic partners.

According to Björn Ebert, Financial Services Leader at PwC Luxembourg, "[t]his initiative underscores our commitment to leveraging artificial intelligence to empower organisations and individuals alike." He continued: "By merging PwC's industry expertise with Microsoft's cutting-edge AI solutions, the GenAI Business Center will serve as a beacon of innovation, offering integrated business solutions, executive engagement opportunities and tailored industry scenarios."

Patrice Witz, Technology Partner and Digital Leader at PwC Luxembourg, added that "[s]trengthening partnerships with leading tech firms such as Microsoft, to explore how Generative AI can accelerate business value and enhance customer as well as employee experience is paramount. Yet, our commitment extends beyond technological advancement, with a core focus on making (Gen)AI responsible."

Marijke Schroos, General Manager of Microsoft in Belgium and Luxembourg, described this investment as "poised to drive transformative change for our shared customers, spanning both the private and public sectors." She spoke about the potential "positive economic impacts" associated with Generative AI, concluding: "As we step into the AI era, we are actively augmenting human creativity by leveraging technology designed to serve as a co-pilot in our daily work lives, fostering productivity and innovation."