BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management firm and a technology solutions provider, has chosen Atlanta for the company’s newest Innovation Hub. BlackRock plans to build its presence in the City of Atlanta, partner with the Atlanta business community and local universities, and create 1,000 career opportunities over the next several years.
“Atlanta’s culture of collaboration with public and private stakeholders bolsters our region’s economy, creates well-paying jobs and expands economic opportunity,” said Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. “The opening of BlackRock’s Atlanta Innovation Hub continues this legacy and we look forward to welcoming and working with them.”
By expanding in Atlanta, BlackRock will extend its technology capabilities and enjoy proximity to top universities, including Georgia Tech, where BlackRock currently sponsors the BlackRock Hallac Scholarship for socioeconomically disadvantaged students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and math.
“BlackRock’s decision to locate in Atlanta is a testament to the strength of our rapidly growing technology ecosystem,” said Dr. Eloisa Klementich, president and CEO of Invest Atlanta. “Technology business expansions in 2018 alone are projected to create an economic impact of $500 million as these companies make thousands of new hires and millions of dollars of capital investment. BlackRock is at the forefront of investment tech and will join more than 20 corporate innovation centers here that make us a top-tier city for corporate innovation.”
Innovative companies like BlackRock have been attracted to Atlanta’s talent, affordability, accessibility, infrastructure, and booming tech ecosystem. Atlanta has recently welcomed the expansion of Pandora, the new Georgia Pacific Innovation Center, Starbucks’ east coast shared services facility, and the expansion of Salesforce. These four expansions will create over 1,400 jobs.
“The Atlanta innovation hub is an example of BlackRock’s strategy to serve clients globally and locally and we are excited to build our presence in the area over the next several years,” said BlackRock Chief Operating Officer Rob Goldstein. “Atlanta was chosen for its skilled and diverse talent pool, thriving business community and high quality of life as we look to attract top talent and constantly innovate how we operate."