INDIAN giant Tata has hailed a significant link-up with a Scottish robotics facility aimed at promoting AI, boosting entrepreneurship and employment.
Tata Consultancy Services said it is entering an applied engineering and research partnership with the National Robotarium, described as the UK’s largest and most advanced artificial intelligence and robotics research centre, based at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus.
TCS Research will work closely with the new centre on innovation as part of a wider agreement between TCS and Heriot-Watt to support early-stage AI and robotics product development, entrepreneurship, job creation and building digital skills in the workforce.
READ MORE: Scots help mould next generation of robot helpers
The robotarium provides “a data-driven incubator environment in which humans and robots can work together alongside academics, technologists and businesses ranging in size from innovative start-ups to global enterprises”.
TCS and the robotarium will be able to “de-risk and accelerate” the development and adoption of robotics systems that can be used to tackle social and geriatric care by “utilising the unique capabilities of the pioneering research centre”.
Stewart Miller, chief executive of The National Robotarium, said that the partnership will allow both parties to "combine our vast combined experience and expertise".
Dr Gillian Murray, of Heriot-Watt University, said: "This unique and ground-breaking facility is already helping to inform and lead the future applications of robotics and AI on the global stage."
Ananth Krishnan, TCS chief technology officer, said as part of the partnership "we will leverage the TCS PACE philosophy and ecosystem to accelerate industrial collaboration and increase the adoption of AI and robotics solutions", adding that the move is "aimed at achieving our shared goal of empowering people’s lives with innovative technology".
Part of the Tata group, India's largest multinational business group, TCS has over 606,000 consultants across 55 countries.
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