FACEBOOK IS CONSIDERING more than doubling its office space in Dublin as it looks to expand operations at its European HQ, according to a report published this afternoon.
The Bloomberg report said the social network, whose Hanover Quay premises forms its headquarters for all operations outside the US and Canada, is considering leasing as much as 11,150 square metres (120,000 square feet) of office space in the next five years.
Bloomberg cites three sources, all of whom have knowledge of the matter. Its Hanover Quay premises covers around 5,000 square metres.
It says that among the premises being considered by Facebook are the former Bank of Ireland headquarters on Baggot Street – which the bank vacated for a small premises on nearby Mespil Road in 2010 – and two other office blocks close to its HQ.
If Facebook takes the latter option it may find itself moving even closer to Google, whose European, Middle Eastern and African headquarters is based just across Grand Canal Dock on Barrow St, where it occupies three buildings.
If true, the development would affirm Facebook’s commitment to Ireland and indicate the potential for a significant recruitment drive.
It would also cement Ireland’s place as something of a European capital for major technology companies; Yahoo’s Dublin HQ is based just around the corner from Google’s, while Twitter is also set to open an ‘international office’ in Dublin this year.
Facebook declined to comment on the report when asked to by Bloomberg, and again when contacted by TheJournal.ie this evening.
The social network – which has around 800 million users worldwide – is reportedly considering a public flotation on the stock exchanges later this year, which may potentially value the company at above $100 billion.
Mark Zuckerberg, the site’s founder and CEO, has previously said he wants Facebook to become the world’s first trillion-dollar company. The world’s most valuable public company, ExxonMobil, is worth $417 billion.
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