Spotify has formally opened a new R&D center in the heart of Great Britain.
Nearly two years ago, Spotify revealed its plans to launch a new research and development hub. The R&D center would co-exist alongside its current operations in London.
Jason Richman, the streaming music giant’s Vice President of Product, explained,
“London has made the decision of where to grow our next R&D hub an extremely easy one.”
He added the city had a “vibrant” start-up community as well as a “great wealth” of tech talent.
“London will be one of our major hubs where we’ll house key investment areas, including expansion of our subscription-commerce capabilities.”
Hailing the announcement, Saliq Khan, the mayor of London, echoed Richman’s sentiments.
“Spotify is the latest in a long line of companies who realize that London simply cannot be beaten for innovation.
“We have a deep pool of tech talent and a complex business ecosystem that can’t be replicated anywhere else.”
Now, the streaming music giant has followed through on its promise.
A London expansion.
Opening up its R&D center, the company confirmed the new hub will create around 300 new jobs in the city.
Spotify also confirmed it would move its current staff into the Adelphi building on the Strand later this year. With the shift to the R&D center, the new building will house 550 employees, up from around 260.
Spotify currently has major hubs in Stockholm, New York, San Francisco, Boston, Stockholm, and Boston.
Speaking about the hub’s formal opening, Tom Connaughton, the company’s Managing Director in the UK, explained,
“As one of Spotify’s biggest markets, it makes perfect sense to expand our team here, and to tap into the large and diverse talent pool to be found in London.”
The company joins other tech companies which have recently beefed up their presence in the city. These include Google, Facebook, and Amazon.
Last year, Facebook confirmed it would double its current UK office space to house 6,000 employees. Google is currently building a new headquarters for around 4,500 employees.
Those decisions seem counterintuitive given London’s likely isolation post-Brexit, though it’s still difficult to estimate the future economic fallout. Already, a number of mega-companies are pulling out of the UK ahead of the formal EU exit, and cities like London will undoubtedly deal with turbulence for years to come.
Sadiq Khan*