Yesterday, 2 September, the Technology Centre DevOps Riga of Swisscom, one of the leading information technology (IT) companies in Switzerland, was solemnly opened. The decision to establish the Technology Centre is related to the company's strategy to create one of the leading technology development centres in Europe. It is planned that the company will invest up to 20 million euros in Latvia in the near future and employ about 300 highly qualified specialists.
The DevOps Centre opened in Riga is the second centre of this kind the company opens outside Switzerland. The opening of the Centre in Riga is related to Swisscom's long-term strategy to develop outside Switzerland, envisaging the establishment of one of the leading technology development centres in Europe by 2025 within activities of the company.
The opening event was attended by the Mayor of Riga Martins Stakis, the Ambassador of Switzerland to Latvia Martin Michelet and Director General at Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, Kaspars Rožkalns as well as other prominent persons and employees of the company.
“I am pleased that the targeted work of the Ministry of Economics implementing the ambitions for Latvia to become the centre of Baltic IT excellence has resulted in success. Swisscom's entry into the Latvian market confirms that our carefully thought-out policy of creating a favourable environment for the training of highly qualified IT specialists is acknowledged at the international level. Therefore, I can say that the opening of the Swisscom DevOps Centre in Riga means that Latvia in Europe has been recognized as a favourable and prolific environment for investments and long-term business growth,” concludes Minister of Economics Janis Vitenbergs (Jānis Vitenbergs).
The Ambassador of Switzerland to Latvia Martin Michelet says: “As a country, Switzerland is all about innovation: very high-performing and competitive, a leading centre for innovation and technology, including in digital and future-oriented technologies. I am pleased to say that Swisscom very well exemplifies Switzerland’s excellence in these areas. Today's event, an example of the great things Switzerland and Latvia can do together when they combine their strengths, is just what we need to do to ensure that ever closer Swiss-Latvian ties will create prosperity and mutually beneficial results for years to come.”
Swisscom has been recognized as one of the best employers in its industry for several years. To a large extent, this is due to the various support programs implemented by the company for employees. For example, working at Swisscom gives everyone the opportunity to develop their own start-up initiatives, for which the company provides both funding and mentoring support.
Swisscom representative John de Keijzer explains the company's development plans: “Opening the DevOps Centre in Riga within activities of our company is a well-thought-out decision. We have set for ourselves strategically ambitious goals. We plan to invest up to 20 million euros in three years, and by 2025 we plan to provide already 300 highly paid jobs in Riga, 95% of which will be allocated directly to programming engineers. At the same time, it should be noted that as one of the highest values of our company is our employees. Various education and growth development and motivation programs will also be available to those working in Riga, and we are currently working on that persistently.”
Swisscom plans to open Swisscom DevOps Academy in Riga already next year, where people without prior knowledge will be able to master programming skills. It is also planned to support students by providing 10-15 paid internships in Riga every semester with the opportunity to visit Swisscom offices in Switzerland and the Netherlands. In addition, the company is working on development of a support program for gifted Computer Science students, providing them with motivating scholarships.