One of the world’s largest engineering and technology companies has reaffirmed its commitment to the UK, despite the impending separation of the country form the EU.
Siemens has today issued a bold statement that it is going nowhere despite Brexit, reaffirming its long-term commitment to London.
Speaking at an event in Berlin to promote greater trade links between London and Germany, Juergen Maier, CEO of Siemens UK emphasised the importance of London and the UK as a leading market for Siemens and the opportunities for collaboration on talent and investment.
“London and the UK remains an important market for Siemens and is a good place to do business. While the exact terms of the UK’s exit from the European Union are unclear, we are committed to London in the long-term.
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“We will continue to apply our expertise in technology and engineering to the challenges that face cities, particularly urban transit and air quality. London remains a leading centre for innovation and technology and we see many opportunities for collaboration on talent, digitalisation and investment in the years ahead.”
It seems like a smart move from the engineering giant, with the company already having a huge stake in the UK capital. The German giant currently employs over 15,000 people across the UK and had previously chosen London to base its global centre of competence for sustainable city technology at the Crystal, a £30m investment by the company.
Seimens has also played a crucial role in the Thameslink and Crossrail projects and is set to deliver over 1,400 commuter rail carriages in London in the coming years.
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“London is the world’s greatest commercial centre but retaining our place at the top is always tough. This commitment by Siemens helps send the message loud and clear that London remains open to talent, investment and ideas,” said Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
“Our connections on the continent have never been more important and, regardless of Brexit, we will continue to work closely together to our mutual benefit.”
Seimens joins other big names such as Google and Apple who have announced London commitments post-Brexit. Google has put forward a £1 billion investment plan for a new headquarters in King’s Cross, Facebook announced an additional 500 jobs for London and Apple revealed its plans for new headquarters in Battersea.
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The remarks from the Seimens CEO were made at an event to boost trade links with Berlin, with the event to serve as a platfrom for London Deputy Mayor for Business Rajesh Agrawal to highlight the opportunities for stronger collaboration between the two hubs. Hoping to bolster links, new research was pointed to which revealed London and Berlin as Europe’s two leading cities for technology investment.
According to data published by London & Partners, the Mayor of London’s promotional agency, London tech firms have raised £5.4 billion since 2011, while Berlin tech companies have raised £3.3 billion – significantly more than any other European tech hub including Paris, Dublin and Amsterdam.
Further analysis shows that the UK’s tech sector is continuing to attract investment following the EU referendum vote with UK tech firms attracting over £1.5 billion in venture capital investment, with London companies receiving over £1 billion.
A trade delegation of 15 of London’s fastest growing technology and life sciences companies have accompanyied the Deputy Mayor, with WiredScore one of those 15. WiredScore, who provides digital connectivity ratings to the real estate sector. The certification allows landlords, property agents and tenants means of articulating the strengths of a building’s connectivity.
William Newton, WiredScore EMEA Director said: “London and Berlin are world-class hubs for technology and innovation, and the commercial real estate sector in each city is thriving. We see expansion into Germany as a great opportunity and natural fit to our growing business internationally.
“London has served as a great base for us to grow our business into other European markets and with the support of the Mayor’s International Business Programme, we are excited to explore the new opportunities that the Mayor’s trade mission will bring.”
