LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (NOVEMBER 15, 2016) (REUTERS) – Google said on Tuesday (November 15) it will expand its London offices to eventually accommodate 7,000 employees, up from around 4,000 at the moment.
The expansion involves the addition of a 10-storey building to its Kings Cross campus in north London, Google chief executive officer, Sundar Pichai said.
“Historically, the UK has been an open and connected economy, and like a lot of businesses we are proud of and rely on the fact that we recruit the best talent from around world. We are optimistic that this situation will continue. We understand there is uncertainty and even concerns about topics like Brexit and the pace of technological change in our times, but we know for certain tat web and digital technology will be an engine of growth for the UK for years to come,” Pinchai added.
Britain’s finance ministry said Google’s announcement was a “big vote of confidence” in Britain’s position as a global tech hub.
“This is a sign of confidence in London. London really is open and it’s a tribute to Google, investing in young Londoners, people who will be working in the job market now and in the future. And I’m really pleased that Sundar is here himself to make the announcement. Google has a huge presence here in Kings Cross St. Pancras, I’m looking forward to the campus being expanded and more Londoners benefiting and people around the world benefiting from skilled Londoners working for Google,” said London Mayor Sadiq Kahn.
Construction of the new building is expected to be completed in 2018 and will give the company more than a million square feet of space.