Amazon Web Services (AWS) has revealed intentions to allocate EUR 7.8 billion towards the development of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud in Germany until 2040, showcasing a profound dedication to fulfilling Europe's requirements for digital sovereignty.
The inaugural AWS Region under this initiative is scheduled to debut in Brandenburg, Germany, by the conclusion of 2025, ensuring accessibility to all clientele.
Multi-Layer Cloud Evolution
AWS's long-term investment is poised to trigger a domino effect within the local cloud ecosystem by fostering increased efficiency, catalyzing the digital evolution of enterprises, bolstering the AWS Partner Network (APN), enhancing the skills of the cloud and digital workforce, spearheading renewable energy initiatives, and fostering positive community impacts in areas where AWS operates.
Cumulatively, AWS's outlined investment is projected to inject EUR 17.2 billion into Germany's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2040 and sustain an average of 2,800 full-time equivalent positions annually within local German enterprises. These roles, spanning construction, facility maintenance, engineering, telecommunications, and other sectors within the broader local economy, constitute integral components of the AWS data center supply chain.
Commitment to Employment
Furthermore, AWS will establish fresh, highly specialized permanent positions to construct and manage the AWS European Sovereign Cloud. These roles will encompass software engineers, systems developers, and solutions architects. This underscores the company’s pledge that all operational facets of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud will be overseen solely by staff situated within the EU, encompassing data center management, technical assistance, and customer support.
Since 2010, Amazon has injected over EUR 150 billion into the EU economy, and it takes pride in sustaining a workforce of over 150,000 individuals in permanent positions throughout the European Single Market. The introduction of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud further solidifies the company’s enduring dedication to Europe and underscores its continuous investment in its digital progression.
Investing in Talent and Infrastructure
“This investment reinforces our commitment to offer customers the most advanced set of sovereignty controls, privacy safeguards, and security features available in the cloud. We're investing heavily in new local talent and infrastructure, which will help provide the operational sovereignty our customers require," said Max Peterson, Vice President of Sovereign Cloud at AWS. "This is an exciting milestone, and we're looking forward to the ways that our customers
and partners across Europe will drive further innovation with the AWS European Sovereign Cloud."
“High performing, reliable, and secure infrastructure is the most important prerequisite for an increasingly digitalized economy and society. Brandenburg is making progress here. In recent years, we have set on a course to invest in modern and sustainable data center infrastructure in our state, strengthening Brandenburg as a business location,” said Prof. Dr. Jörg Steinbach, Brandenburg’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Labour and Energy. “State-of-the-art data centers for secure cloud computing are the basis for a strong digital economy. I am pleased Amazon Web Services (AWS) has chosen Brandenburg for a long-term investment in its cloud computing infrastructure for the AWS European Sovereign Cloud."
The upcoming AWS European Sovereign Cloud is designed to be a unique cloud service specifically tailored for Europe, meeting the needs of public sector organizations and heavily regulated industries. It will utilize the powerful capabilities of AWS, offering the familiar architecture, extensive service options, and APIs that customers are used to, but in a separate environment from current AWS Regions. As a result, users of this platform will benefit from the same top-level security, availability, performance, and resilience associated with AWS infrastructure.
This specialized cloud platform will enable customers to comply with strict operational autonomy and data residency requirements within the European Union (EU). Operating solely within EU borders and independently from existing AWS Regions, it will assure clients that all customer data and associated metadata will remain within the EU.
