DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Accenture (NYSE:ACN) is accelerating its research and development agenda in artificial intelligence across its global network of Accenture Technology Labs, by opening the newest lab in Dublin and committing a significant portion of its global R&D capabilities, to help clients across industries integrate intelligent systems to improve operations and create new growth opportunities.
The expanded R&D agenda will play a significant part in fueling Accenture’s approach to artificial intelligence across the company and will draw the best technology solutions from a broad ecosystem. The new Technology Lab is central to Accenture’s commitment to Dublin as a Centre for Innovation, established to capitalize on Ireland’s role as a technology hub in Europe and to access highly skilled talent in science, technology and engineering in the region.
“Artificial intelligence will disrupt businesses and industries on a global scale, and we see this shift going well beyond deploying analytics, cognitive computing or machine learning systems in isolation,” said Paul Daugherty, Accenture’s chief technology officer. “We are investing early to drive more innovation at Accenture, recruit top talent in every location we operate in, and infuse more intelligence across our global business to help clients accelerate the integration of intelligence and automation to transform their businesses.”
As part of today’s announcement, Accenture has also established the Accenture Technology Labs University Grant on Artificial Intelligence; awarding the inaugural grant to an academic research team at the Insight Centre for Data Analytics at University College Dublin. The research team will explore the interface between humans and machines, using cognitive analysis to better understand how both can collaborate and interact effectively. In order to advance the development of emerging technologies Accenture has long established strong relationships with many leading academic institutions; including the Accenture and MIT Alliance in Business Analytics which explores artificial intelligence technologies.
Artificial Intelligence – the broad field of new technologies that enable software to sense, comprehend, act and learn – is disrupting how businesses operate and compete while also accelerating the delivery of business outcomes in the “As-a-Service” economy. Analyst firm IDC predicts that the worldwide content analytics, discovery and cognitive systems software market will grow from US$4.5 billion in 2014 to US$9.2 billion in 20191, with others citing these systems as catalyst to have a US$5 trillion – US$7 trillion potential economic impact by 2025.
Given the newly accelerated R&D agenda, Accenture has committed to infuse artificial intelligence across the Technology Labs network, actively collaborating with other Accenture teams and new partners in the startup ecosystem to:
- Create more intelligent tools by teaming with Accenture Digital to advance capabilities in cognitive computing, machine and deep learning, natural language processing, data augmentation and predictive analytics to help clients become an insight-driven enterprise;
- Integrate and apply artificial intelligence into Accenture Operations solutions that improve both front- and back-office operations, such as customer support, procurement, supply chain and warrantee services;
- Embed artificial intelligence capabilities into architectures, tooling and service management analysis conducted by Accenture Technology; and
- Design and scale artificial intelligence capabilities for Accenture Consulting around the world across multiple industries, including healthcare, public safety and financial services.
The global network of Accenture Technology Labs includes locations in: San Jose, California and Arlington, Virginia, in the United States; Sophia Antipolis, France; Beijing, China; Bangalore, India; and Dublin, Ireland. The Tech Labs are part of Accenture’s broader network of innovation centers—more than 80 around the world – which focus on helping clients develop innovative solutions based on new and emerging technologies.
About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions – underpinned by the world’s largest delivery network – Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With more than 358,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives.
[1] Source: IDC, “Worldwide Content Analytics, Discovery, and Cognitive Systems Software Forecast, 2015–2019,” Doc #256774, June 19, 2015