The Spatial Footprint of Tech Giants

We live in an era dominated by tech giants, where the rising growth of ‘Big Tech’ (e.g. Alphabet, Meta, and Apple) comes to rival the wealth and influence of individual nations. Yet, many of these digital empires claim to be operating ethereally in ‘the cloud’ without a concrete geography. Despite their apparent transitory nature existing at multiple scales and legal jurisdictions (e.g. the local, global and digital), this talk will demonstrate how the emergence of Big Tech and their supply chains are mutually constitutive with the production of certain industrial landscapes in the United States.

Nico Jimenez is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia. His work is situated at the intersection between cities, labour and industrial policy. Originally from Vancouver, Nico received his BA (First Class, Honours) in Geography and Political Science from UBC and MPhil in Geography from the University of Cambridge. In his spare time, you can find Nico reading C.S. Lewis, running in Pacific Spirit Park or on the dance floor.