Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) announced that it is partnering with The Royal College of Art (RCA), recently named the world’s leading university of Art and Design in the 2015 QS World University Rankings, to establish a Design Innovation Lab to help foster design and technology innovation in the UK.
The TCS-RCA Design Innovation Lab will develop and deliver joint research projects at the confluence of design, technology and business, with the goal of filing joint patents and publications. The Lab, located on the RCA’s South Kensington campus in Central London, will also be able to host students on internships and researchers on sabbaticals.
The TCS-RCA Design Innovation Lab will also act as a showcase centre for leading work from RCA students, TCS customers and partners and as a venue for workshops and industry events. The facility is currently under development and is due to officially open in September 2015.
Under the terms of the partnership agreement, TCS customers will have the opportunity to gain access to the RCA’s academic expertise and advice for design projects. A number of joint projects are already being worked on by TCS and the RCA, including development of a contactless payment concept for a TCS customer and studies focusing on the use of design within insurance and retail.
Specialising in teaching and research, the Royal College of Art has over 1,500 Master’s and doctoral students across the disciplines of applied art, fine art, design, communications and humanities.
K Ananth Krishnan, Chief Technology Officer, Tata Consultancy Services, commented: “With digital technologies now the default channel for organisations to engage with customers and employees, intelligent and intuitive design has never been more important. Partnerships with the world’s finest academic institutions are a key part of TCS’ Research and Co-Innovation strategy and we are looking forward to working closely with RCA staff and students to explore new concepts and ideas that we hope will ultimately prove tremendously valuable for our customers.”
Shankar Narayanan, Country Head UK & Ireland, Tata Consultancy Services, commented: “As one of the world’s foremost centres for design innovation and research, the Royal College of Art was the obvious academic partner for TCS in the UK. We have already seen first-hand the value that joint research projects with the RCA can bring and we are excited about the potential benefits that the TCS-RCA Design Innovation Lab will bring for TCS customers in the UK and elsewhere.”
Dr Paul Thompson, Rector, The Royal College of Art, commented: “The Royal College of Art’s reputation is founded on our world–leading design research and technological innovation. Key to this is the ability to apply theories and methodologies to real-world issues, translate research findings into practice and work directly with academic, corporate, non-profit and government sectors. The TCS-RCA Design Innovation Lab will give our researchers the facilities and resources they need to explore new areas of research and test their theories with TCS’ impressive list of international clients looking for the best technology, design and data solutions.”
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