Google has announced plans to open a product development Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, marking the first on the continent. The facility is to build transformative products and services for the African market and the world.
This comes after the tech giant revealed plans to invest $1 billion over the next five years in October last year. The Centre is Google’s second major research and development investment in Africa after the tech giant set up an AI and research Centre in Nigeria’s West African neighbor, Ghana, in 2019.
Already, Google has announced openings for visionary software engineers, product managers, UX designers and researchers to lay the foundation for significant growth in the coming years.
According to Google VP for Products, Ms Suzanne Frey, “Africa has been at the forefront of innovation, and we believe that we are going to continue to develop and innovate right here from the continent.
With this new development, Google has now joined a growing list of big tech companies like Microsoft and Visa that have launched research and development, and innovation hubs in Nairobi, Kenya. In the past year we’ve seen Microsoft pump money to its African Development Centre and VISA do the same with its Innovation Centre.
The new product development centre is a continuation of Google’s commitment working on building for Africa and the world. Google’s mission in Africa is to make the Internet helpful to Africans and partner with African governments, policymakers, educators, entrepreneurs and businesses to shape the next wave of innovation in Africa.
Photo courtesy / Google
Article by RB team
Comment