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During the recent Choose France Summit, Amazon made a major announcement that will resonate throughout the e-commerce world :
the company plans to invest over 1.2 billion euros in France and create more than 3,000 permanent jobs. This commitment will bolster its logistics network and cloud infrastructure, benefiting both customers and the local economy.
Strategic Investments for Growth
Amazon continues to expand its footprint in France, with ambitious projects for the development of Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud infrastructure in the Paris region.
This investment aims to support the growing opportunities of generative artificial intelligence in France. Additionally, the expansion of logistics infrastructure in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes will enable faster and more environmentally friendly deliveries.
These 3,000 new jobs add to the 2,000 permanent positions already announced for 2024, showcasing Amazon's commitment to France. For over 20 years, the company has built strong relationships with consumers and local businesses. Since 2010, over 20 billion euros have been invested to drive innovation, develop infrastructure, and create quality jobs, aiming to enhance the customer experience and have a positive impact on the French economy.
A Leader in Employment in France
With these new investments, Amazon has become the leading net job creator in France since 2010, currently employing over 22,000 people on permanent contracts.
According to the Observatory for Employment and Investment in France, the company operates more than 35 logistics sites across the country.
Russ Grandinetti, Senior Vice President International Stores at Amazon, commented :
"Since our first investment in Europe in 1998, our commitment to France and Europe has continued to grow. With over 220,000 employees in Europe and over 215 billion euros invested since 2010, we are thrilled to support the creation of 3,000 new jobs in France. This new investment is further evidence of our commitment to providing fast and reliable deliveries, while enabling French businesses to modernize their operations through AWS and our generative AI services."
Expansion of the Logistics Network : For an Optimal Customer Experience
Amazon already operates over 35 logistics facilities in France. This investment will reduce the time and distance required to serve customers, thereby increasing delivery speed and reducing carbon emissions.
Frédéric Duval, General Manager of Amazon.fr, added:
"We have been investing in France for over 20 years, and this new commitment of 1.2 billion euros will create over 3,000 jobs. The development of our logistics network benefits local economic development, creates quality jobs, and reduces the carbon footprint of deliveries, while enhancing the customer experience."
A study by Roland Berger showed that the opening of the Augny distribution center, near Metz, revitalized a region affected by deindustrialization, creating 4,000 jobs in the first year alone.
This made Amazon the largest private employer in Moselle and positioned the Augny site as the second largest job creator in France since 2010. Logistic expansion also contributes to sustainability, reducing the distance traveled by parcels by 25% and decreasing CO2 emissions by 81 grams per shipped parcel.
Investment in Cloud Infrastructure: An Asset for French Businesses
AWS investment addresses the growing demand for cloud services in France, driven by the potential of cloud computing and artificial intelligence. According to a report by Strand Partners, the adoption of AI by French companies increased by 35% between 2022 and 2023. If this trend continues, AI could add 99 billion euros of gross value added to the French economy by 2030.
Julien Groues, VP AWS France and Southern Europe, said :
"France is on the brink of a unique economic opportunity thanks to artificial intelligence. By expanding our cloud capacity, we enable French businesses to fully leverage the potential of AI technologies to innovate and create value. Our commitment aligns with AWS's global AI strategy, offering powerful, secure, and regulation-compliant AI services at an optimized cost for our customers."
This investment is part of a 6 billion euros plan over 15 years (2017-2031) to develop cloud infrastructure in France, contributing 16.8 billion euros to the French GDP and supporting an average of 5,271 full-time equivalent jobs each year.
Supporting Startups and Education
Clément Delangue, Co-founder and CEO of Hugging Face, welcomed this investment :
"As a French-origin AI startup, we are delighted with AWS's commitment to the development and growth of local startups."
Amazon also supports social and educational initiatives, including the Amazon Future Engineer program, which promotes digital inclusion and careers in computing, reaching over 500,000 children and students since 2020.
AWS offers training and certification programs for cloud skills, having trained over 200,000 people in France since 2017. By 2025, AWS plans to train 29 million people worldwide in cloud skills for free.
With these new investments, Amazon continues to play a key role in the French economic and technological landscape, supporting innovation, job creation, and sustainable development.
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