28. Microsoft Corporation (Hana Doubrava, Director, Cascadia)
28. Microsoft Corporation (Hana Doubrava, Director, Cascadia)
April 17, 2026 Oregon Prosperity Council, Sent via: Prosperity.Roadmap@oregon.gov Renée James, Co-Chair Curtis Robinhold, Co-Chair RE: Oregon Prosperity Roadmap Dear Co-Chairs of the Oregon Prosperity Council, Microsoft is pleased to express its strong support for the Oregon Prosperity Roadmap and its vision for building a more inclusive, innovative, and resilient state economy. The Roadmap’s emphasis on education, workforce readiness, technology adoption, and cross-sector collaboration closely aligns with Microsoft’s long-standing commitment to advancing economic opportunity through responsible technology, skilling, and public-private partnership and driving innovation in the age of AI. Microsoft strongly supports the Roadmap’s approach to economic development, including investments in digital infrastructure, entrepreneurship, and support for small and medium-sized businesses. Technology adoption and innovation—when paired with thoughtful policy and workforce alignment—can help communities modernize services, increase productivity, and compete globally. As you will read, we outline ideas for how best to achieve this economic development approach through efforts including: accelerating research, supporting AI literacy, utilizing labor market data and preparing the workforce for AI-enabled jobs. As Oregon leaders and citizens move forward with the Roadmap, Microsoft is offering the following programs and resources to help integrate AI opportunities that complement the ideas outlined in the Oregon Prosperity Roadmap. We would welcome the opportunity to meet, share these ideas, and discuss their relevance and potential application in Oregon. Sincerely, Hana Doubrava Director, Cascadia Microsoft Corporation Cc’d: Emerald Bogue (emerald.bogue@portofportland.com), Harry Clapsis (harry@amperecomputing.com) Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way | Redmond, WA 98052 http://www.microsoft.com/
Microsoft Recommendations for the Oregon Prosperity Roadmap in the Age of AI RECOMMENDATION 1: ACCELERATE RESEARCH WITH AI AND ENABLE COLLABORATION FOR AI RESEARCH FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. Create shared research infrastructure—secure cloud computing, governed data access, and common AI tools—that universities, startups, and industry can use to accelerate discovery and commercialization. Encourage cross-institutional consortia focused on Oregon priority sectors (e.g., semiconductors, clean energy, forestry, health, and advanced manufacturing) and lower barriers to partnering through streamlined agreements and clear IP pathways. Pair these efforts with responsible AI and cybersecurity guardrails to protect sensitive data and strengthen trust among collaborators. • Accelerate research and development through Microsoft Discovery. Microsoft Discovery is an enterprise, agentic AI platform designed to accelerate research and development. Built on Azure, it enables universities, research institutions, and industry partners to use AI agents to accelerate scientific discovery, simulation, and innovation across fields such as materials science, energy, manufacturing, and life sciences. • Collaborate on AI Economy Research. The AI Economy Institute is a Microsoft Research initiative focused on understanding AI’s impact on jobs, skills, productivity, and education systems. AIEI produces evidence-based research to inform policymakers, educators, and workforce leaders as they adapt education and training systems for an AI-enabled economy. RECOMMENDATION 2: SUPPORT AI LITERACY FOR STUDENTS AND PREPARE K-12 TEACHERS TO USE AND TEACH AI. Embed age-appropriate AI literacy and responsible use expectations into standards, curriculum guidance, and digital citizenship. Pair this with sustained professional learning so educators can use AI to save time, personalize instruction, and teach students how to evaluate AI outputs, protect privacy, and use tools ethically. • Establish AI Literacy Standards in K12. Microsoft supports state and local efforts to establish AI literacy standards for students, helping ensure young people understand how AI works, how it should be used responsibly, and how it impacts learning and work. For example, Idaho’s work to create statewide AI literacy standards for K–12 students offers a replicable model for other states. And Code.org and Teach AI offer AI Literacy tools to for K-12. • Prepare Teachers to use AI. Elevate for Educators provides free, on-demand professional learning to help teachers confidently and responsibly integrate AI into their classrooms. Resources focus on saving time, supporting instructional planning, enhancing student engagement, and building educator confidence with emerging technologies. • Personalize Special Education with AI. Microsoft offers tailored AI training and resources to support special education teachers, helping them use AI tools to personalize instruction, improve accessibility, and reduce administrative workload—while keeping students and educators at the center of learning. Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way | Redmond, WA 98052 http://www.microsoft.com/
RECOMMENDATION 3: MONITOR AND USE OREGON LABOR MARKET DATA TO DRIVE RESULTS. Establish a shared, statewide dashboard that blends traditional measures (employment, wages, openings) with real-time signals on in-demand skills and hiring trends. Use these insights to set clear targets, prioritize investments, and adjust programs quickly when conditions change across regions and industries. Relevant resources from Microsoft include: • Access Trends through Labor Market Data specific to Oregon. Through LinkedIn’s Economic Graph, we can provide labor market insights to help states, regions, and workforce boards understand in-demand skills, emerging occupations, and workforce trends. These insights inform education planning, workforce investment, and economic development strategies. RECOMMENDATION 4: ENABLE WORKFORCE ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO DELIVER AI TRAINING TO PREPARE THE WORKFORCE. Equip workforce shared digital tools, and employer partnerships to scale short-term training tied to credentials and work-based learning. Align offerings to local demand using labor market data, and ensure wraparound supports (career navigation, childcare, transportation) so more Oregonians can complete training and transition into quality jobs. • Enable Workforce Boards with AI. In partnership with the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB), Microsoft Elevate supports workforce boards and American Job Centers with AI and digital skills training for jobseekers, dislocated workers, and incumbent workers—aligning training with real labor market demand. • Deliver AI Training through Community Colleges. In partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges, Microsoft offers training to community college leaders to help them build AI ready campuses. • Coming Soon: Enable In-demand Industries with AI (e.g., Construction). Microsoft supports targeted skilling and reskilling strategies for workers in industries experiencing disruption, such as construction, manufacturing, and logistics. AI-enabled tools and training can help workers transition into adjacent roles, improve safety and productivity, and access new career pathways. Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way | Redmond, WA 98052 http://www.microsoft.com/
Parent: Appendix E: Submissions & Feedback · PDF: pp. 284-286