[Published February 2011 and last updated June 2026] The communications giant Cisco has backed British Prime Minister David Cameron’s plans to turn areas of East London into a hub of technology-based business endeavour.
As a result, several hundred million pounds are set to be invested by the American company to foster an environment of innovation and dynamism in office spaces initially being readied for use during the 2012 Olympic Games.
Cisco is getting involved through the British Innovation Gateway, which Mr Cameron hopes will help the ‘East London Tech City’ become a “world-leading technology centre”.
The government and the Olympic Legacy Company are both very much involved in the scheme that aims to ensure that enough money, expertise and manpower are channelled in the right way to initiatives across the east of the city.
In response to news of Cisco’s commitment, Mr Cameron commented: “This will help create many new jobs and opportunities and support our drive to diversify our economy and generate sustainable economic growth.”
Cisco chief executive John Chambers said: “We are delighted to be working with the UK government on this project as a logical progression from our work in the east of London for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
“The prime minister’s Tech City initiative is very exciting for the UK, and we have worked closely with the government on ways to strengthen it.”
A not dissimilar idea is already taking hold in New York, where an area of office space in Manhattan dubbed the General Assembly is attracting ambitious technology start-ups from across America and gaining support from the likes of the New York City Economic Development Corporation and Silicon Valley Bank.
Editor’s notes: Since publishing this story, Cisco was joined by several other high-profile tech companies, including Amazon, Facebook, Google, Intel, McKinsey & Company and Microsoft, in investing in East London’s Tech City, also known as Tech City and Silicon Roundabout due to its proximity to Old Street Roundabout
There remains a wide range of workspace rental options available at Tech City, including leased and flexible office space, coworking lounges, fully serviced offices, and furnished and fitted managed offices for large teams.
As of June 2026, there were flex space providers offering this kind of space, and the profiles of the operators of flexible office space in Tech City can be seen here
In June 2026, CNBC published an article that looked back on the 15 years of the inception of ‘Silicon Roundabout’ and on how UK tech has evolved since the early 2010s.