Impact
Report
23/24
This year’s Impact Report focuses on our global impact
As Here East continues to embrace breakthrough technologies, our sixth Impact Report reflects on the past 12 months and our role in the ongoing transformation of East London as a home to world-changing innovations. The last year has been a chance to reflect on what ‘making an impact’ really means for Here East, whether in our local community, across London more widely, throughout the country or around the world.
A local growth story with global impact
Today, we are not just a campus, but part of a wider historic community and innovation district on the Olympic Park. It is a collaborative ecosystem that not only includes the incredible businesses that start and scale at Here East, but partners across the park, East Bank, including the London College of Fashion, V&A East, UCL East, Sadler’s Wells East and BBC Music Studios.
As a collective, we have a shared responsibility to make East London an economic success. Here East is central to that, having contributed £700 million of GVA towards GDP by 2021. It is a figure that continues to increase today as we expand our global reach, with 6,500 people now working or studying across the campus. But ours is not only a story of economic growth. It is a story of transformative academic research, new businesses starting and scaling, and international companies choosing this part of the capital to invest in and grow in. Being a driver of that activity across the Olympic Park is incredibly exciting and a true testament to the global reach that we have built and the global impact we continue to have.
Our global impact is driven not only by our own efforts but also by the accomplishments of our tenants. This report is an annual celebration of their achievements and the various ways they contribute positively to the community.
"Innovation, collaboration, and community are the foundation upon which Here East was founded a decade ago. These remain our golden threads; binding our mission to deliver shared prosperity across East London and beyond. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished so far in 2024, but with our sights set firmly on the horizon, I’m also excited to see how we’ll push the boundaries further in this next chapter."
Mike Magan, COO at Here East
A year of exciting events, milestones and impact
The past year at Here East has been a period of remarkable progress and innovation. In both physical and virtual spaces, we've achieved significant milestones that reflect our commitment to growth and impact. From the launch of our virtual twin, to our continued efforts in education, employment, and empowerment through our partnerships and scholarship program, we have made substantial strides. Additionally, our return to SXSW in Austin, Texas, underscores our global influence, while our tenants continue to expand their footprint both at Here East and around the world.
To position ourselves for the future, we need to continue to push boundaries in new areas – not least by continuing to embrace the opportunities of emerging technologies, such as AI and the metaverse. Our ‘Future Talks’ series has explored their potential global impact on our society, the future of cities, the entertainment industry and much more, certifying Here East’s reputation as a thought leader on how the world is changing.
Alongside profiles of our tenants, the report outlines recent landmark moments for Here East including:
- Badu and Here East's exciting charity partnership to tackle child poverty in the local London growth boroughs
- Highlights from the last years events on campus, including our Future Talks series
- The launch of Here East's virtual twin, providing a platform for people from across the world to visit our campus virtually