London is definitely shaping up to be a world leader in digital technology, as it remains the leading city for EU tech talent.
According to data from LinkedIn and Stack Overflow for London and Partners, London remains the top location choice for both European and global tech professionals to start their tech career.
The capital has evidently built up its status over the last year, as the UK and more important, y London has been favoured by many leading technology firms. Facebook announced opening a new centre in the London this year, creating 800 new technology jobs across the city.
In addition to this, Amazon has also revealed plans to double its R&D staff across the capital from 450 to 900 after opening its new UK headquarters in Shoreditch. Google and Apple are also among the tech giants locating tech hubs in the UK, with Google opening a new HQ to house up to 7,000 employees whilst Apple opens a new HQ for its 1,400 London based staff.
Sadiq Khan, The Mayor of London, has praised the City once again for its achievements. “London is the tech capital of Europe and home to some of the best tech and creative minds from across the world. Global tech companies such as Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google continue to invest in London because of our city’s diverse international tech workforce, and our start-up ecosystem is vibrant and innovative,” Khan said. “That’s why it’s vital that London’s tech businesses continue to have unrestricted access to the best tech talent from Europe and the rest of the world.”
Despite Brexit, the data has revealed that London was voted the most attractive European tech hub from inside and outside the EU for 2017. This was demonstrated further when London was voted the unicorn capital across Europe for Silicon Valley investors, which brought a total of $1.13bn venture capital from the start of 2017 alone.
Joshua Graff, Head of LinkedIn UK said: “Since the Brexit result we’ve regularly analysed our data to help companies understand how it may impact their business as it relates to talent. It’s clear that within the technology sector, London remains an incredibly attractive place for people to further their careers, develop new skills and find employment. It’s this diversity that helps British businesses thrive.”
According to other research from Stack Overflow, London is now home to more software developers than any other European City totalling over 250,000 workers. Khan admits it is still important to urge the Government to do more to enable outside tech talent to still enter the country, whilst investing in UK talent as well; one of his aims for London.
– UK Capital named Unicorn capital of Europe
– Smartest City? The UK Capital has it covered
– Theresa May to double tech visas ahead of Brexit
“It’s vital that London’s tech businesses continue to have unrestricted access to the best tech talent from Europe and the rest of the world. The best way to do this is for London and the UK to remain part of the Single Market and Customs Union, and I will continue to lobby the Government on this in order to protect our status as a global tech hub, while also investing in home-grown talent to ensure that young Londoners share in the benefits of digital growth,” Khan said.
The Capital has already been named the best European destination for Silicon Valley start-ups in the last year, in addition to one of the world’s smartest cities.
