Motorola has opened in Kitchener’s Breithaupt Block.

That announcement comes less than a week after Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey announced plans to open an office for Square, his new company, in the area and hire 30 engineers.

With the jewel of the local tech hub, BlackBerry, seemingly headed toward some major changes – to say nothing of the 4,500 layoffs announced last week – are these and other companies moving in to try and swoop in for the tech workers left behind?

According to Motorola Canada’s engineering director, it’s not that simple.

Derek Phillips tells CTV News the company has been planning a local presence for several months, and would have set up shop with or without uncertainty over BlackBerry’s future.

“Part of the reason we want to be in K-W is that it’s a never-ending source of talent,” he says.

Phillips points to the presence of the University of Waterloo and the region’s strong startup sector as strong draws for major tech companies.

“This is very hard to find pretty much anywhere in North America,” he says.

Chris Plunkett, a spokesperson for tech hub Communitech, says the addition of Motorola and Square to the local tech roster is part of a wider effort to ensure that should BlackBerry disappear, the industry won’t go along with it.

“BlackBerry did a great job recruiting some of the best talent from around the world and we really want them to stay in Waterloo Region,” he says.

Austin Cousineau could well be part of the next wave of that talent.

The University of Waterloo electrical engineering student is in the midst of a co-op placement at Thalmic Labs, one of the hotter properties on the local tech scene.

Cousineau says he could see himself working at a bigger company like Motorola one day – but for now he prepares the atmosphere he sees at the startups.

Because startups are generally populated by people just out of school themselves, Cousineau says, they’re more relatable and an easier fit.

Still, he says he could see himself working for a larger company one day – and Plunkett agrees that the two solitudes of the tech sector can attract different types of workers.

“The startups (are) where you have a chance to make it big, to do what you want and be your own boss,” he says.

“But some people are at that stage of their lives where they want that package and more security, and that’s where someone like EA or Motorola can really step in. I think it’s great to have both.)