Rakuten’s journey through Europe has seen its share of setbacks, but the Japanese e-commerce giant is showing no signs of retreat. In fact, the company is doubling down on its European ambitions with the launch of the Rakuten Tech Centre Europe, a new facility positioned in Paris.
This latest expansion highlights Rakuten’s intent to strengthen its technological foundation in the region. The Paris-based centre will bring together 50 specialists with expertise spanning artificial intelligence, cloud services, platform engineering, data centre management, and IT support. The site will also host members from the Rakuten Institute of Technology, the company’s in-house research division focused on AI and emerging technologies.
Sharing space with Rakuten France, which oversees the firm’s e-commerce activities in the country, the tech centre is designed to encourage collaboration and fast-track the rollout of innovations across Rakuten’s European services. Beyond France, the company’s presence stretches into Spain through Rakuten TV and into Luxembourg with Rakuten Bank, which handles banking, payment, and rewards services.
Zoran Stejic, head of AI and data for Europe and president of the new centre, emphasized that this move demonstrates Rakuten’s determination to nurture tech-driven progress while creating opportunities for local talent. According to Stejic, the Paris hub will play a key role in crafting solutions tailored to Europe’s diverse digital market.
Notably absent from the announcement is any mention of Rakuten Symphony, the company’s Open RAN-focused network integration arm. Originally envisioned as a disruptive force in the telecom sector, Symphony’s European plans have stumbled. Despite securing early deals, such as its partnership with Germany’s 1&1, progress has lagged, and the venture has faced industry whispers of financial strains.
For now, Rakuten’s new Paris hub signals a pragmatic shift back to its core strengths in e-commerce and digital services, rather than the more turbulent path of reshaping telecom networks.