Apple announced that it will open its first European iOS app development center. It’s to be located at partner institution in Naples, Italy.

The center gives where students can acquire skills and training pertaining to the development of iOS applications. It will support teachers and provide a specialized curriculum geared toward the growth of Apple’s developer ecosystem.

Apple itself will work with partners throughout the country on curriculum development and additional student opportunities. Eventually, the company will expand the program to other countries.

CEO Tim Cook said, “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. 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.”

“Thousands of companies are expanding because of their work with Apple, which supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in communities large and small across Europe,” Apple says. “Milan-based Laboratorio Elettrofisico makes some of the most sophisticated magnetization equipment in the world and their technology enables some of the industry-leading magnetic features found in Apple products. Apple also works with Europe’s leading manufacturers of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems, which create tiny components that power some of the incredible sensor and audio technologies found in iOS devices.”

Apple says the App Store has helped developers in Europe earn over €10.2 billion from selling their apps around the world. 75,000 jobs in Italy alone are attributable to the App Store, the company says.

Image via Wikimedia Commons