The UK boss at tech giant Hewlett-Packard Enterprise said the company will be tapping into Manchester’s “abundance of strong tech talent”.
Marc Waters told BusinessCloud that HPE sees Manchester as “a strong growth opportunity” for the company.
In December 2018, HPE announced it will move into office space at Manchester’s new city neighbourhood, Circle Square, in 2020.
The tech giant currently operates across six locations in the UK: Bracknell, London, Bristol, Belfast, Warrington and Erskine.
It plans to occupy 20,000 sq ft on the seventh floor of No. 1 Circle Square when it moves in summer 2020. The space will have the capacity for almost 300 of HPE’s UK employees.
“Known globally as a place of incredible culture and innovation, we also know Manchester has an abundance of strong tech talent which we’ll certainly be tapping into once the new office is established,” Waters told BusinessCloud.
“A Manchester presence will enable us to be at the heart of the North’s budding tech scene, in amongst some of the fastest-growing tech businesses in the country.
“The city region is clearly becoming a go-to destination for companies so moving here is excellent for both attracting new talent and driving growth.”
Waters said the new office will be home to a mixture of existing employees relocating from other offices and new jobs being created.
“We are also going to be hiring local apprentices and graduates to fill some of these seats,” he added.
Waters described Circle Square as “an incredible location”, offering the company “an innovative work space and vibrant environment which will help us foster a collaborative community of leaders in technology”.
“Beyond the office itself, the pop-up stores and landscaped areas across the Circle Square development, will create a great community and make it a great place to work for our employees,” he said.
Manchester’s growing reputation as a tech hub was a key driver behind HPE’s decision to invest in the city.
“This is aligned with the UK government’s direction to skill up and prepare the country to compete in new digital markets and encourage different sectors to boost their productivity through new technologies and more effective usage of data,” he added.
“With a wealth of exceptional talent, Manchester’s digital ecosystem is an exciting adventure for HPE.”