Chancellor George Osborne has opened the Google Campus at the much hyped Silicon Roundabout site in east London, and claimed it is the first step to making the country the:
“technology centre of Europe”
The Campus is a specifically designed centre which will offer affordable desk space and a mentor service to start-up tech companies, whether advising on the latest SEO techniques or helping isolate and exploit new opportunities.
The real highlight of the venture is the SeedCamp, which takes up the entire sixth floor of the Campus.
The project has been created as an investment programme, with a target of providing early financial support for fledgling technology companies. If successful, it is planned that it will help in the region of 20 such companies each year.
As part of the TechCity initiative the government launched in 2010, it is hoped companies will locate to the area and pool their resources.
The area was already a hotbed for the industry, though some reports suggest that the number of business now there has risen from 200 to 700 since the initiative as launched. Many suggest the figure could be lower but it is clear there has been growth.
It is just one part of the plan though, with Mr Osborne saying that Campus was the first step to:
“create the next generation of British technologies”.
He went on to say that the government
“wants the UK to become the hub for technology in Europe as a whole.”
It will be hoped that the venture will see accelerated growth in employment as a result.
Related posts:
- Google Campus at the centre of future technology
- Google Campus houses 90 start-ups
- UK tech sector targeted by Silicon Valley Bank
- Google plans to move into London’s East End
- London welcomes first Facebook UK office
