VIJAYAWADA: With the aim to strengthen AP’s innovation and advanced manufacturing ecosystem, the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub (RTIH) and Kia India Pvt. Ltd. have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the Advanced Prototyping and Innovation Center (APIC Labs) at the RTIH Amaravati Hub.
The MoU was signed by the Group CEO of RTIH, Dhatri Reddy, and senior officials of Kia India including Tae Hyun Kim, Chief Administrative Officer; Jungho An, Senior Advisor for Legal, Compliance, Corporate Affairs, CSR & PR; and Dr. T. Somasekhara Reddy, Principal Advisor, Kia India.
APIC Labs is designed to bridge the gap between concept and commercialisation that hardware start-ups often face. This aims to provide emerging innovators and companies access to industry-level prototyping tools, product validation services, and advanced manufacturing infrastructure which will enable faster development cycles and reduce time-to-market for new products.
The centre focuses on catalysing innovation across high-growth deep-tech sectors including Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Electronics, Embedded Systems, Smart Manufacturing, Mobility Technologies, and Industrial Automation. By offering hands-on collaborative infrastructure, APIC Labs is aiming to help start-ups and businesses build from AP.