IBM, one of the companies spearheading blockchain revolution, has announced a number of emerging-tech initiatives in France that will create 1,800 jobs in the next two years.

IBM's Chairman, President and CEO Ginni Rometty, made the announcement in conjunction with the Tech for Good Summit, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. The investments and initiatives will be focused on cutting-edge technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, cloud computing and Internet of Things (IoT).

"President Macron is making a big bet, and a smart one, that AI is going to transform every job, every profession and every industry," said Rometty. "At IBM, we share this belief and see evidence of it every day with Watson driving exponential impact here in France and around the world. That is why we are bringing 1,800 new jobs to France to meet growing demand for AI from our clients."

The 1,800 new jobs include 400 AI-related roles the tech giant announced in March at the French AI for Humanity summit.

IBM said that it plans to hire business consultants, IT architects, developers and technical experts, including both new graduates and experienced professionals. In addition, it has been creating and hiring for “new collar” jobs – roles in leading-edge areas such as cybersecurity, data science, artificial intelligence and cognitive business that do not necessarily require traditional university degrees, but rather the right skill set.

On these lines, IBM is collaborating with the French government on its P-TECH (Pathways to Technology Early College High School) education model. Created in 2011, P-TECH is focused on providing young people – primarily from disadvantaged backgrounds – the skills and credentials required for 21st-century jobs.

In addition, the company is launching the IBM France Academy. The Academy, based in Paris and supported by online courses, will train IBM France employees, clients and partners to build modern skills for the AI-era.