Apple to Open Europe’s First iOS App Development Center in Italy

Apple has announced the creation of Europe’s first iOS App Development Center, in Italy at a partner institution in Naples. The Development Center will give students practical skills and training for developing iOS apps. The Italian launch marks the start of a bigger initiative, as Apple plans to expand this program to other countries around the world.

“Europe is home to some of the most creative developers in the world and we’re thrilled to be helping the next generation of entrepreneurs in Italy get the skills they need for success,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “The phenomenal success of the App Store is one of the driving forces behind the more than 1.4 million jobs Apple has created in Europe and presents unlimited opportunities for people of all ages and businesses of all sizes across the continent.”

So far, the Apple ecosystem supports more than 1.4 million jobs, including 1.2 million jobs attributable to the community of developers, software engineers and entrepreneurs building apps for iOS, alongside non-IT jobs supported directly or indirectly through the app economy, the press release highlights.

In Italy, for example, the ecosystem has created more than 75,000 jobs, and the developer community is vibrant. The press release announcing the launch of the Development Center points to success stories such as IK Multimedia’s apps: Musement, one of the apps, was launched in 2013 and is now available in seven languages and 300 cities across 50 countries. Roberto Macina, CEO and founder of another Italian success story, Qurami, emphasized the key role the iOS ecosystem has played in his business.

Apple has paid over €10.2 billion (CAD $16.1 billion/US $11.1 billion) to European developers. In an earlier press release announcing the record-breaking holiday season of the App Store, Apple said it had so far paid out $40 billion to developers across the globe.