The Microsoft Innovation Center will stimulate developers, independent software vendors, students and entrepreneurs to create and deploy innovative software solutions. To do so, the MIC will bring together technology partners, government authorities, small industrial actors (SMEs), and financing sources. The focus will be on accelerating innovation and development.

Over the next three years (2009 to 2011), the MIC aims to create between 5 and 10 new companies per year and generate in total 250 new jobs while certifying in total over 500 professionals. The MIC will be located in Mons, in the same building as the new Virtualis business development center for digital media. Initially, 550m² will be rented, with additional space available on an as-needed basis for incubation support.

MIC is expected to help start-up between 5 and 10 new local software companies a year and to create approximately 250 direct and indirect jobs. A similar center in France has generated 25 new software companies a year since 2005.

One of the focus areas of the MIC will be the development of technology solutions for the health sector. The MIC will offer e-health startups access to a panel of private and public experts in the sector, help gather funding for pilot projects, offer a specific e-health education track and foster collaboration between Microsoft Research and Wallonia academic researchers.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Contact :

Cabinet Marcourt, Nathalie Lafontaine, Press Officer

Nathalie.Lafontaine@Marcourt.gov.wallonie.be, +32 476 93 38 49

Microsoft, Aurelie Couvreur, Public Relations and Corporate Affairs Manager, aurelie.couvreur@microsoft.com, +32 497.47.47.69

Louvain-La-Neuve, 24th April 2008.