Today Amazon in Italy has 12,500 permanent employees, of which 3,000 were hired in 2021 alone. announced the opening of 500 new permanent positions, of which more than 50 in the technological field, throughout Italy. These new positions appeal to people of all levels of experience, education, background and professionalism, be they beginner or more experienced profiles. Recruitments are open throughout Italy and involve different areas of the company, from corporate offices in Milan, to technology development centers, data centers, up to the logistics sector. Right now, Amazon is looking for different profiles, including engineers, computer scientists, software developers, sales and marketing accounts. We have several open positions throughout Italy, from entry level roles in our logistics network to machine learning experts who make Alexa smarter every day. These data confirm that Amazon is among the most important job creators in Italy and I can assure you that our commitment will continue in the months to come. A commitment that also extends to the quality of the work we offer, because we aim to be the best employer in the world.
You are investing in logistics hubs in Italy, such as that of Abruzzo or Basilicata. Are you also planning to open physical stores in Italy?
Since arriving in Italy in 2010, Amazon has invested over 6 billion euros, creating more than 12,500 new permanent jobs, in over 50 sites throughout the country. Only in 2020, the company inaugurated two new distribution centers in the province of Rovigo and in Colleferro. Furthermore, the distribution centers in Novara and Cividate al Piano have recently been opened, while the Spilamberto sorting center will come into operation in the coming weeks. The company has also recently announced a new distribution center in San Salvo, in the province of Chieti, which will create 1,000 new permanent jobs within the first three years. In recent years, Amazon has also opened various centers and depots across the Peninsula for last mile deliveries. To serve Amazon Fresh customers, the company has three urban distribution centers in Milan, Turin and Rome. We do not comment on future plans but I can say that we will continue to strive to offer our customers the best possible shopping experience on our online store, offering them an ever wider selection of products, faster deliveries and advantageous prices.
The Italian Pnrr focuses heavily on the digitization plan, how could Amazon make its contribution?
The drive for the digital transformation of businesses, in line with the Italian PNRR, is also a priority for us. For our part, 2020 saw our investments grow to support the 18,000 Italian small and medium-sized enterprises that rely on Amazon. We have invested more than $ 16 billion to help them increase their sales on Amazon. Not only that, in 2020 we invested around 2.8 billion euros in Europe in logistics, tools, services, training and programs to help them succeed. We will continue to innovate and offer new tools and programs to support the training and growth of Italian SMEs, accompanying them in their digitization process so that they can compete on equal terms with their European and global cousins. In recent years, Amazon has been at the center of the accusations of the unions and in the crosshairs of the Authorities as, just to give an example, in the case of the Antitrust investigation on the hypothesis of an agreement to restrict competition with Apple.