Google Switzerland has room to grow

Google has launched its cloud services in Switzerland, with additional plans to open a data center in Zurich, Google top manager Urs Hölzle has revealed in an interview with “Bilanz” magazine.

Hot on the heels of the AI lab and the new offices on Europaallee, this signifies “a deepening of relations” for Google in Zurich, according to Hölzle. He hopes that within a few years the data center will become “bigger than originally planned, like the offices”. The latter have become Google’s most important development site outside the USA.   

Google requires around a dozen employees for the data center but could eventually expand its team in Switzerland to a far greater extent. “We currently employ around 2,500 people here. In three years, when the final section of Europaallee is complete, we will have space for up to 5,000,” said Hölzle.

While there is no guarantee of these 5,000 jobs, because Google “doesn’t make multiannual plans for any one location”, Switzerland is an “important” location for the IT giant, according to Hölzle, with many functions for flagship projects stemming from Zurich.

Google has to look abroad for specialists, because “Switzerland does not produce anywhere near enough skilled workers”, said Hölzle. The Google top manager highlighted that Switzerland could look to the USA when it comes to IT training. America has focused on improving the reputation of IT, with many more women now opting to study the discipline.

He said: “In Switzerland, computer scientists are often still regarded as scruffy nerds, who sit alone in small, dark rooms eating pizzas while programming.”