AWS announces new data center region for Calgary

Cloud training initiative coming to area with Mount Royal University

CALGARY, AB, Nov. 8, 2021 /CNW/ - Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced today it will establish a Data Center Region in Calgary to expand its global infrastructure services. This Region will be one of two in Canada available to millions of AWS customers globally, including many Alberta-based businesses and public sector organizations.

According to a new Economic Impact Report released by AWS today, the company will directly invest $4.3 billion into the Alberta economy, which is estimated to create more than 950 new jobs in Canada and contribute an estimated $4.9 billion to the country's GDP by 2037.

AWS and Mount Royal University have also teamed up to deliver the AWS re/Start program through Calgary's EDGE UP 2.0 program, in early 2022.

The AWS re/Start job skills training program in Calgary will prepare displaced oil and gas professionals, for entry level roles in cloud and connect them to potential employers as part of Amazon's commitment to help 29 million people around the world grow their tech skills with free cloud computing training by 2025. Amazon has already trained more than 100,000 people in Canada since 2013.

Amazon has made other significant investment announcements in Alberta this year.

In April, it announced its first renewable energy project in Canada—an 80 megawatt (MW) solar project in Newell County. Once complete, the project will contribute an estimated 195,000-megawatt hours (MWh) of renewable energy to the grid, enough to power more than 18,000 homes for a year.

In June, Amazon announced its largest renewable energy project in Canada—a 375 MW solar farm in Vulcan. When it comes online next year, it will power more than 100,000 homes for a year. Amazon is committed to running its business in an environmentally friendly way and has committed to reach net zero carbon across all business operations by 2040 as part of The Climate Pledge.

Calgary recorded double-digit growth in tech talent and tech jobs over the past five years and ranked 28th among the Top 50 North American markets in CBRE's 2021 Scoring Tech Talent report. CBRE ranks cities on competitive advantages and appeal to employers and tech talent employees.

In September, Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) ranked Calgary as one of the top 100 emerging tech startup ecosystems worldwide, and second in Canada as an innovation ecosystem with the best "bang for buck" for the average amount of money raised by local tech startups.

For more information on Calgary's tech and innovation ecosystem, visit Live Tech, Love Life.

QUOTES:

"AWS has been helping Canadian organizations build in the cloud since 2006. Today, we have tens of thousands of customers in Canada. This newly announced Region in Calgary will help even more developers, startups, and enterprises, as well as government, education, and non-profit organizations, to run their applications and serve end users from data centers located in Canada. This new Region is a significant investment for Calgary, and the country, and we're proud to help energize the economy."

-      Eric Gales, General Manager, AWS Canada Inc

 "This major investment from AWS again demonstrates that Alberta is establishing itself as a dominant player in digital technology and innovation. This multi-billion-dollar data centre project in our province underscores the work being done by Invest Alberta to create jobs and diversify the economy. I look forward to working with AWS on this project and seeing how it will strengthen Alberta's information technology and communication sector."  

-      Alberta Premier Jason Kenney

"Calgary continues to build momentum as one of the top destinations in Canada for tech and innovation companies. Our high quality of life, low cost of doing business, and expanding tech talent base are putting Calgary on the map for companies wanting to expand or relocate. We look forward to the significant investment AWS will be contributing to our economy and communities, and the opportunities it will create for Calgarians."

-      Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek

"AWS is another example of a leader in the tech world seeing the value proposition Calgary offers as so many companies embrace digital transformation as they work to solve big global challenges. The growth of our tech and innovation ecosystem has seen real momentum this year and it is creating opportunities for our next generation of talent."

-      Brad Parry, interim President & CEO, Calgary Economic Development

ABOUT CALGARY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Calgary Economic Development is an opportunity-maker, helping to spark and fuel Calgary's growth. Our job is to connect people with resources that can help them grow their careers or businesses, thrive in new locations or markets, and feel at home in our community. We offer a wealth of information to help everyone succeed and we tirelessly promote Calgary, in Canada and around the world. We're exhilarated about our role in shaping and sharing Calgary's story and we're proud to be part of the energy. For more information, please visit our website and follow us on Twitter.

SOURCE Calgary Economic Development Ltd.

Yasmin Jaswal, Coordinator, Corporate & Social Communications, Cell: 403 880 7040, Email: [email protected]