Amazon announces plans to expand its Vancouver Tech Hub by opening a new development centre in the city by 2022.
The 416,000ft²-development centre is expected to create 3,000 new jobs in fields of e-commerce technology, Cloud computing and machine learning.
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The online retailer currently employs more than 1,000 researchers and engineers to create new products and services for its international retail business and Amazon Web Services (AWS).
The company’s retail operations, including mobile shopping, delivery experience, payment options and Alexa, which are currently handled by local employees, will be moved to the new site.
Amazon Canada and Mexico vice-president Alexandre Gagnon said: “Amazon is excited to create 3,000 more highly-skilled jobs in Vancouver.
“Vancouver is home to an incredibly talented and diverse workforce, and these thousands of new employees will invent on behalf of our customers worldwide.
“Thank you to Prime Minister Trudeau, Mayor Robertson, and all our partners across Vancouver and Canada for welcoming us and helping to foster a strong local innovation economy.”
The online retailer will relocate its operations to the new development centre following its opening in 2022.
In November last year, the retailer also announced plans to open a new location on Dunsmuir Street in 2020, and increase its workforce in Vancouver to 5,000 in the future.
Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson said: “Amazon’s decision to bring another 3,000 jobs to Vancouver is great news for our city’s booming innovation economy.
“We are home to the fastest growing, most resilient and greenest economy in Canada and Amazon’s major expansion in our city means more long-term jobs for people who want to live, work and build a future in Vancouver.”
