Looking back, we would all agree that Silicone Valley was the place to be if you wanted to get ahead in the tech world. The fact is that nowadays, European investment is higher than it has ever been and the tech industry is booming.
It was estimated that by the end of 2017, there were 41 tech unicorns. Areas like Benelux, Northern Europe, and the Baltics generate around 8% of their GDP from IT. On top of that, some of the biggest tech names like Google, Apple and Microsoft are looking towards Europe for new talent.
Let’s take a closer look at 9 of the best cities for those looking for a job in the tech industry.
Hamburg
Hamburg is the 6th largest city in Europe and Germany’s second-largest city. It is home to both innovative startups and the offices of Twitter, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft.
FinTtech is one of the startups along with a number of e-commerce businesses. Hamburg also has one of Germany’s largest gaming clusters.
Eindhoven
Eindhoven is the Netherland’s 5th largest city but conquers most of Europe regarding its growth in technology. Rumour has it that 22.6 patents are produced per 100,000 inhabitants. In 2013, Forbes described Eindhoven as the most inventive city in the world.
It has a wonderful balance of first-rate research institutes, intelligent people and entrepreneurial drive. It’s famous for the hardware it produces, not just in Europe but also in the world. It is proud to be home to the world’s smartest square kilometre.
Munich
11% of all German startups come from Munich. It is a crucial economic hub for European business being the home of companies like BMW, Siemens and Allianz, Germany’s largest multinational corporations.
The salaries in Munich are more attractive than in other German cities. A software developer with just 2-4 years experience can earn an average salary of 52,000€. Aside from startups, there are tech opportunities in a huge range of industries from media to finance to the IoT.
London
It’s not hard to list the reasons why London is famous but many probably didn’t know that London has more IT jobs than the entire California.
When talking about pennies and pounds, in 2017, tech venture capital investment reached £2.99bn, 4 times more than its competitive neighbour, Paris. It’s also twice as much as what was invested in the UK in 2016.
Rotterdam-The Hague
Granted, they aren’t the same city but they are very close and many people commute. In 2015 they united to create a new metropolitan area. Furthermore, it’s central location makes it very attractive for travel, whether business or pleasure.
There are many well-known tech companies and highly successful businesses. Rotterdam-The Hague has improved its education and research facilities too. It is ideal for those who are interested in tech sectors that aren’t as common, such as CleanTech and aerospace. If you are interested in cybersecurity, The Hague has the largest safety and security cluster in Europe.
Stuttgart
Some people may not have even heard of Stuttgart, let alone knew of its tech opportunities. Stuttgart is the capital of Baden-Württemberg, a state in the southwest. It has become famous as a metropolis and manufacturing hub.
Mercedes-Benz and Porche have their headquarters in Stuttgart, but it’s not just about the big names. The city has developed an environment that allows startups to flourish. There are facilities to assist entrepreneurs and conditionals that are very appealing. For IT jobs, Stuttgart is the second-best city in Germany with the average wage for a developer at 49,313€.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam, like London, is internationally famous for a number of reasons but most recently for being Europe’s best tech city to work in. In total there are around 578 international ICT companies in the capital of the Netherlands. An average salary for a software developer with 2-4 years of experience is 47,200€!
To help things along in the IT industry, Amsterdam has the fastest broadband service in Europe. They also like to focus on networking with the hugely popular annual conferences, AmsterdamJS and TNW.
Cologne
Eau de Cologne, a stunning cathedral and an amazing carnival are nothing compared with the Pirate Summit. Within the industry, it is known as the craziest startup conference.
Since 2011, Cologne has been the home of 10 out of the top 100 strongest-selling German companies.
Berlin
It would be rude not to mention Germany’s capital city. 31% of all German startups come from Berlin. In 2017, 70% of Germany’s startup capital was invested in Berlin.
It’s not just the attractive salaries! A software developer with 2-4 years of experience will be looking at an average yearly salary of 50,100€ with living costs lower than London, Paris and many other cities.
