Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) have set up a Center of Excellence (CoE) to undertake collaborative research projects and jointly develop intellectual properties and thought leadership focused on digital engineering and manufacturing across industries.

Specific areas of collaboration will include autonomous robotics systems (ARS), industrial internet of things (IIoT), digital twin systems (DTS) and advanced automotive technologies such as electric mobility services. The CoE will also work as an incubator and identify disruptive early-stage startups to drive innovation and research in these areas.



"Advanced digital technologies can help enterprises drive new levels of productivity, competitiveness and sustainable growth in a fluid and rapidly changing environment, and industry-academia partnerships are crucial for developing solutions and talent for the future," said Mahesh Zurale, senior managing director, lead - Advanced Technology Centers in India, Accenture.

"With the increasing use of digital technologies in manufacturing, breakthrough innovations in areas such as AI, IoT, autonomous robotics systems and digital twins are necessary to fuel the next era of the industrial revolution," said Raghavan Iyer, senior managing director, Innovation lead - Integrated Global Services, Accenture Technology.

"Through our collaboration with IITM, we look forward to working with some of the brightest talents in technology to create powerful and purposeful solutions that can drive impact."

Welcoming this partnership, Dr V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, "As a premier technology institution in India, we have been actively collaborating with innovative organizations globally to co-innovate disruptive products and services in new and emerging areas. We are excited to be setting up this new Center with Accenture as it not only aligns with our interest and objectives but also brings intellectual and practical skills that are necessary for our student researchers for the future."

University collaboration has been key to Accenture's innovation agenda. The company has been collaborating with leading universities around the world to jointly develop forward-looking thought leadership, research, educational programs, and other activities. Most recently, Accenture collaborated with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru to establish Accenture Center for Advanced Computing.

PHOTO 1: (L_R) Prof. Krishnan Balasubramanian, Dept of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, Mr. Raghavan Iyer, Senior Managing Director, Innovation lead - Integrated Global Services, Accenture Technology, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, Mr. Avnish Sabharwal, Managing Director, Accenture Ventures and Open Innovation, India

PHOTO 2: (L_R) Mr Avnish Sabharwal, Managing Director, Accenture Ventures and Open Innovation, India>, Mr Raghavan Iyer, Senior Managing Director, Innovation lead - Integrated Global Services, Accenture Technology, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras & Prof. Krishnan Balasubramanian, Dept of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, at the inauguration of Accenture-IITM CoE for Industry X and ARS on 21st Sept 2022

PHOTO 3: (L_R) Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras & Mr Raghavan Iyer, Senior Managing Director, Innovation lead - Integrated Global Services, Accenture Technology inaugurating the Accenture - IITM CoE for Industry X and ARS on 21st Sept 2022

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