Why Kyndryl chooses France

At stake is France’s position among the world’s leaders in advanced technologies. The recent Kyndryl AI Readiness Report reveals that only 28% of French business leaders say their workforces are ready to take advantage of AI. Meanwhile, half of those leaders report a lack of skilled talent to manage the technology. Closing that skills gap is everybody’s job, and Kyndryl is committed to supporting French companies in their ability to find people with the necessary training to power France’s digital transformation and economic growth.

Since forming as an independent company in 2021, Kyndryl has had a strong presence in France and remains committed to the country’s vibrant tech ecosystem for the long term. We support more than 350 companies in France’s retail, financial services, supply chain and automotive manufacturing sectors. We’ll be adding up to 300 data, AI and cyber resilience leaders in France to help businesses meet today’s and tomorrow’s critical demands. In parallel, Kyndryl will launch an AI-enabled private cloud for French customers needing to develop and test AI solutions in a security-rich environment.

But that’s just the beginning. Sustainable, longer-term projects that begin over the next three years will include opening a dedicated AI and cybersecurity digital hub in Sophia Antipolis. Kyndryl’s partnerships with graduate schools and research centers help us lead in supporting organizations in France.

This cooperation also will help us provide France’s next generation of technical experts with education, training and career opportunities in these vital disciplines. The efforts will complement Kyndryl’s ongoing participation in projects such as the CyberCampus of Sophia Antipolis and our education and skills partnerships with EURECOM, Epitech, EFREI and other leading institutions.

Why all the fuss for something most people can’t see? Because the IT infrastructure “back office” is the backbone of how things work, including critical industries and government services. These systems must be flexible, resilient and able to comply with the dizzying array of emerging cybersecurity regulations that impact all players in the global digital economy. But designing, building and managing these systems requires wide-ranging business and technical insights that most organizations can’t muster on their own. They know they need to transform, but they don’t know how.

These challenges won’t disappear by ignoring them. How do the public and private sectors learn the specifics of what needs to be done? How do they modernize without disrupting operations and services? How do they know which complex systems to discard, which to keep and how to protect their investments in technology? What’s the best approach to energy efficiency and environmental sustainability for systems with substantial power demands? How does one combine these systems, secure them against cyberattacks and execute within budget? How do you transform at scale?

In France, the answers to many of these questions lie in our ability and willingness to work toward common goals. Our future isn’t “coming.” It’s here. And now is the time for us to pull together to address today’s challenges, prepare for future growth, and help maintain and enhance France’s position as a global economic power.