The next major tech company is settling in Bavaria’s capital. Starting in October, Meta will operate a new location on the former Infineon site on Balanstraße. This expands the company’s presence in Germany around the platforms Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Meta already has two offices in Hamburg and Berlin.
The new premises in Munich span two floors and provide space for around 100 employees. They will primarily focus on technology development and partnerships around immersive technologies and AI. On the ground floor of the building, an event and collaboration space is being created for Meta and the local developer community.
Meta chose Munich for several reasons. According to the company’s statements, the availability of qualified specialists was just as decisive as Germany’s and Bavaria’s leading research. The proximity to other relevant companies in the state also played a role. The economically significant region around the state capital, with its unique density of DAX companies, has established itself as an important technology hub in recent years, according to a press release from the group.
Meta wants to expand partnerships
Meta has continuously invested in the Munich location in recent years. For example, the company supported the “Institute for Ethics in Artificial Intelligence (IEAI)” at the Technical University of Munich with seven million dollars. Additionally, Meta acquired the fashion startup Presize and entered into a partnership with the startup Straightlabs.
Angelika Gifford, Vice President for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Meta, explains:
“Immersive technologies and AI are decisive for the future and a key component of the metaverse. Right now it’s about laying the foundation stones in XR and AI – we can’t do this alone, but only together with partners from different industries. By establishing an office in Munich, we can further expand our partnerships. The many companies, industries, and academic institutions based in Bavaria make Munich an ideal location for us.”
