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By Michael Moore
The Mayor of London’s promotional arm says the U.K.’s status as Europe’s main technology hub has been further cemented by a new study which found that the country, and London in particular, is now the continent’s most-desirable destination for technology workers.
The capital came out on top in terms of which city workers would be most willing to relocate to for work, far ahead of other European cities such as Paris or Berlin, and just behind with worldwide technology hubs such as New York and San Francisco.
Booming
A large proportion of respondents in the poll by London & Partners said that London’s good international travel connections, cultural diversity and creative and innovative environment were all factors that helped make it stand out.
“London is a technology powerhouse,” said Mayor of London Boris Johnson. “With our competitive business environment and an unrivalled range of culture, arts and entertainment, we are able to attract some of the very best creative and entrepreneurial minds on the planet.
“Since the creation of the Tech City project six years ago, London has emerged as Europe’s fastest growing technology hub while cementing our status as a world-class destination to live and work.”
The results also found that the United Kingdom remained the leading location for the European headquarters of global companies, as London currently hosts forty percent of the world’s top companies, including the likes of Google, Facebook and Skype.
“London is already Europe’s leading destination for international technology companies looking to expand globally,” said London & Partners CEO Gordon Innes.
“But the research findings also demonstrate that London has joined San Francisco and New York to become one of the world’s leading tech hubs. With easy access to world-class tech talent, international markets and a culture of innovation, we have already seen American tech companies such as Facebook, Amazon and Google establish a strong presence in the U.K.
“We look forward to welcoming more U.S. businesses and entrepreneurs to take advantage of the fantastic business and lifestyle opportunities that London and the U.K. has to offer.”