Scott Hahn (Accenture)
Credits: Accenture
Microsoft and Accenture have formed a new partnership focused on supporting Australian and New Zealand (A/NZ) start-ups with a focus on sustainability and social impact.
The joint initiative, called Project Amplify, provides support and technologies to help social enterprises build proof-of-concept, measure emerging solutions and refine their business models.
Nine A/NZ start-ups joined Project Amplify, which gained access to digital technology, mentoring and collaboration opportunities with both Microsoft and Accenture staff.
The one-year program has “the long-term goal of accelerating the region’s potential and improving the lives of millions by addressing diverse societal challenges”, Microsoft said in a blog post.
Part of the program will focus on sustainability through the cloud, data and artificial intelligence (AI), which can cover waste reduction and optimization of operations.
Scott Hahn, senior managing director and technology lead for Accenture A/NZ said: “Start-ups in A/NZ are finding innovative ways to solve critical sustainability and social challenges but need support to measure their solutions and strengthen their reach and impact.
“Combining Accenture and Microsoft’s global experience, broad talent ecosystem and access to technology and best practices, we can help to significantly improve access, equality, inclusion, education, health, retention and environment. ”
Microsoft has also focused on the issue of sustainability for many years and, in early 2020, promised to be carbon negative by 2030. By 2050, Microsoft expects to remove from the environment all carbon emitted by company directly or through the use of electricity since it was founded in 1975.
Meanwhile, Accenture recently forged a digital transformation partnership with ServiceNow that will work to meet sustainability, among other goals.
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