Google plans 1-mn sq ft building in post-Brexit London to house 7,000 engineers

Google yesterday announced plans for a new building in the King's Cross area of London that would house thousands of engineers.

Google's chief executive Sundar Pichai said computer science had a great future in the UK, citing the talent pool, educational institutions, and passion for innovation in the country.

''That's why we are investing in London in both engineering talent and infrastructure,'' he said.

The 10-storey building, which would be Google's first wholly-owned and designed building outside the US, would enhance its presence in King's Cross to over 1 million square feet, enough for more than 7,000 employees, the company said.

Google has a workforce of 5,700 employees and contractors in the UK, which included about 2,000 engineers housed in the recently opened building in King's Cross where Pichai announced the expansion.

Pichai, who became CEO in October 2015 when parent company Alphabet was created, said he was optimistic about the future of the UK, the uncertainty caused by June's vote to leave the EU notwithstanding.

''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,'' he said. ''We are optimistic that this situation will continue.''

Speaking at an event that included London's mayor Sadiq Khan and prominent entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, Pichai expressed optimism about the future of the UK, in technology despite the June vote to exit the UK. Pichai said Google was committed to remaining in the country for years.
 
''Our technology industry is central to securing future economic growth and this government is committed to ensuring it continues to thrive,'' chancellor of the exchequer Philip Hammond said in a separate statement.? ''It's further proof that Britain is open for business and that we continue to be an outward looking, world-leading nation.''