In a move ahead of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference next week, Apple (AAPL.US) has announced the establishment of its first European developer center, to be located in Berlin. The company stated that this new hub will offer developers across Europe greater access to Apple experts and events, as well as a more direct channel to learn about the company's tools, technologies, and resources.

Apple already operates developer centers in Bangalore, India; Cupertino, California; Shanghai, China; and Singapore. In a statement, Susan Prescott, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations, highlighted the region's talent: "Europe is home to an extraordinary community of developers building apps that foster connection, spark creativity, and push innovation forward. We have always believed that when developers have the right tools and resources to do their best work, they can create incredible things. That's the foundation of this new center, and we look forward to seeing the continued innovation this community will bring."

Key Event on the Horizon

The Worldwide Developers Conference is scheduled to run from June 8 to June 12. The event will commence with a keynote address at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on the 8th. It is widely anticipated that the conference will focus on updates to Apple's major operating systems.

Anticipated Strategic Announcements

Following last year's significant introduction of a "liquid glass" design language, this year's conference is expected to be another strategically important launch for the company. A central focus of speculation is the potential unveiling of the most significant redesign for Siri in 15 years.