KOCHI: US tech major IBM on Friday opened its new Software Lab, a state-of-the-art global innovation centre at Infopark in Kakkanad.
The centre, which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, will focus on product engineering, design, and development of new products and solutions in the areas of data and AI and automation and collaborate with the technology ecosystem in the region to co-create solutions for the global industry.
The CM said this is "another feather in Kerala's booming IT industry, as we are emerging as the country's digital destination".
He said IBM's choice to establish its Software Lab at Infopark, Kochi is truly something to celebrate.
"This investment shows once more that Kerala's IT Hubs have the greenest IT spaces, a talent pool of IT professionals, a Centre of Excellence in emerging technologies, and the economic momentum to continue to move the state forward as the country's next digital hub," he said, adding that the state government worked closely with IBM over the past year to make this investment possible.
"We are thrilled to see this happen, adding even more momentum to Kerala's rapidly growing tech sector," Pinarayi said.
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Housed within the lab is the Automation Innovation Centre, which will help IBM and IBM ecosystem partners to build automation solutions through their lifecycle –- product design, engineering, and support -- that will help clients in business automation, AIOps and integration, a release by IBM said here.
P Rajeeve, minister for law, industries and coir, R Bindu, minister for higher education and social justice, Dinesh Nirmal, general manager, IBM Data, AI and Automation, Sandip Patel, managing director, IBM India South Asia and Gaurav Sharma, vice president, IBM India Software Labs, along with other dignitaries from the Government of Kerala were at the event.
Dinesh Nirmal, general manager, IBM Data, AI and Automation said IBM's vision for India is to drive in-country innovation by leveraging advanced technologies and tapping the digital skills and talent here to help unlock the true potential of digitization.
Sandip Patel, MD, IBM India, said the company's expanded presence in Kochi will play an important role in contributing to the region's economic growth through job creation and the engagement of local talent in high-skilled jobs.
Just last week, IBM inaugurated its fifth lab at GIFT City Gujarat and with this inauguration, IBM India Software Labs will now operate from six locations in India, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi and Pune.