Microsoft to Build New Campus in Israel

Microsoft plans to build a 43,000-square meter campus in Israel — the company’s biggest anywhere in the world. The campus will bring together all of Microsoft’s Israeli assets in one place, including its several research and development centers, Israel sales operation, and startup accelerator.

The new center is to be built in Herzliya, where some of the company’s assets are currently located. The company announced that the buildings on the campus will feature advanced environmental and communications technology; for example, each floor will feature an area for employees to plant fruits and vegetables, and the entire building will be equipped with automatic sensors that turn lights and air conditioning on and off as people enter or leave rooms. In that, it will be similar to the R&D center Apple built in Herzliya, which includes similar advanced tech.

The campus will also include a new visitors’ center, which will feature the company’s history and the products and technologies it has developed — some of them at Israeli R&D centers. The campus will be ready in 2020, company officials said.