New Zealand has secured a multibillion-dollar commitment from Amazon Web Services (AWS) with the launch of the AWS Asia Pacific (New Zealand) Region.
The project involves an investment of more than NZ$7.5 billion, with analysts forecasting the buildout will support around 1,000 jobs each year. GDP gains are expected to reach NZ$10.8 billion.
Government Endorsement on Business Opportunity
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon emphasised the economic potential of the AWS project, stating: “It’s a vote of confidence in New Zealand as a place to do business, to innovate and to build for the long term. And this investment will supercharge growth, and it is key to creating more jobs, lifting incomes and putting more money into the pockets of Kiwis.”
He called the launch “a major milestone, not just in terms of size, but I think in what it represents.”
Cloud Infrastructure to Enhance Enterprise Competitiveness
The new AWS Region launches with three Availability Zones, enabling organisations to run workloads with low latency and high availability while keeping data securely stored in New Zealand. The investment also supports the construction, connection, and maintenance of new data centres across the country.
Prasad Kalyanaraman, AWS’s Vice President of Infrastructure Services, said: “The new AWS Region in New Zealand will help serve the growing demand for cloud services across the country and empower organisations of all sizes to accelerate their digital transformation. With this launch, businesses can now leverage advanced AWS technologies, from core cloud capabilities to AI and machine learning, all while meeting local data residency requirements.”
Active AWS customers already include Kiwibank, the Ministry of Transport, New Zealand Post, and the University of Auckland.
Building a Skilled Digital Workforce for Enterprise Growth
The company has already trained 50,000 people in cloud capabilities, with plans to train 100,000 nationwide under a Memorandum of Understanding with the government. Programmes such as AWS Academy, AWS Educate, and AWS Skill Builder will play a central role.
AWS CEO Matt Garman stressed the importance of this commitment: “Our investment goes beyond infrastructure: we’re building New Zealand’s digital future by training the next generation of tech talent. We’ve already trained 50,000+ people with cloud skills and we are just getting started.”
NZTech Chief Executive Graeme Muller said the investment in training is just as significant as the data centre build: “This investment in digital infrastructure and Amazon’s commitment to digital skills can accelerate New Zealand technology businesses and help New Zealanders to move into highly skilled, secure and well-paid technology jobs – which exist right across the economy, from tech companies to various sectors including agriculture, finance, retail, professional services, government and many more.”
Sustainability and Renewable Energy as Business Priorities
AWS has tied its New Zealand expansion to sustainability goals, committing to achieve net zero operations by 2040 as part of The Climate Pledge. Locally, that commitment includes a long-term partnership with Mercury NZ to support the Turitea South wind farm.
Amazon said the collaboration aims to show “how digitalisation and decarbonisation can advance together to support a sustainable future for New Zealand.”
The New Zealand Region is part of AWS’s broader Asia-Pacific strategy, following previous investments such as a high-capacity subsea cable in 2016 and an AWS Direct Connect location in Auckland in 2023.