Apple gets to the core of innovation from new Cambridge base

Apple has spelled out the importance to global innovation of its new Cambridge city centre hub and other UK bases from Battersea to St Albans.

The company has growing corporate offices in St. Albans and Swindon, along with a brand-new office in Cambridge, where several hundred team members are working on cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and silicon.

Apple goes into detail with a comprehensive insight into its UK growth strategy.

Over the past five years, Apple says it has deepened its investments in the UK to better serve customers – inaugurating a new UK headquarters and a new Apple Store at London’s Battersea Power Station – creating new opportunities for developers and expanding its work with suppliers of all sizes.

Including Apple’s spend with UK suppliers, the thriving iOS app economy, and direct employment, the company now supports more than 550,000 jobs across the country.

Battersea Power Station will accommodate Apple’s growing team, which now totals nearly 8,000 UK employees: With over 500,000 sq ft, the six-storey space has been designed around collaboration, inclusivity, wellness, and sustainability.

The reimagined Battersea Power Station has swapped coal for clean power, with the building running on 100 per cent renewable energy.

Apple is already carbon neutral for its corporate operations and its offices, stores, and data centres run on 100 per cent renewable energy. Apple has pledged that by 2030, all of its products – including the manufacturing supply chain and product life cycle – will be carbon neutral.

In order to achieve that ambitious goal, Apple has invited its suppliers to join its Supplier Clean Energy Program, which requires the use of 100 per cent renewable energy in their work for Apple UK suppliers — including Victrex, which is based in Lancashire — have joined the effort.

Apple CEO Tim Cook reveals: “For more than four decades, Apple has been proud to be part of communities across the UK. Whether it’s enriching the lives of our customers, helping support incredible developers, working closely with suppliers, or opening our stunning new UK headquarters, we are deeply committed to creating jobs and harnessing creativity throughout the country.”

This is the first time Apple has gone deep under the hood of its innovation  and R & D engine, driving UK growth. The new Cambridge building in Station Road is at the very heart of its operations.

Cook said Apple’s spending with businesses large and small across the UK helps support jobs across a variety of industries. In the past five years, Apple has spent nearly £16 billion with hundreds of companies of all sizes in the country – more than doubling its annual spend since 2019.

Apple’s growing investments in the UK include expanded Apple TV+ production, which creates jobs in the creative industry and provides a platform for new and emerging local talent to showcase their work to a global audience.

Apple TV+ not only supports jobs for cast and crew, but also contracts with hundreds of suppliers across business sectors – from construction and manufacturing to hospitality and technical services.

The country’s developer community continues to be a powerful force for economic growth, Apple reveals.

The UK has the largest developer community in Europe and the thriving iOS app economy now supports over half a million jobs – up nearly 70 per cent since 2019.

Since Apple launched the App Store developers in the UK have earned nearly £7.5bn from their apps selling digital goods and services to customers around the world.

Education is part of Apple’s DNA and the company is committed to expanding opportunities for learners of all ages and backgrounds to learn the skills needed to succeed in the workforce.

Through its Community Education Initiative, Apple provides free coding and creativity resources and cutting-edge classroom technology – partnering with organisations to reach young people across the UK.

Apple is also committed to supporting the communities in which its employees live and work; through its Strengthen Local Communities programme the company provides grants and support to local organisations doing the vital work of keeping the community thriving and healthy.