NTT Data teams up with University of Melbourne on research & innovation
Global technology consultancy NTT Data is teaming up with the University of Melbourne to advance research, talent development, and Australia’s digital capabilities across various sectors.
The strategic partnership will include the establishment of a regional innovation centre to drive collaboration across the Parkville precinct, Melbourne’s biomedical research hub, with students to also have the opportunity to work on NTT Data projects.
“This collaboration leverages the university’s research excellence and NTT Data’s global capabilities across healthcare, the life sciences, education, manufacturing and beyond,” said Mark Cassidy, Melbourne Uni’s deputy vice-chancellor for research.
Cassidy continued; “It will enable our researchers and students to harness transformative technologies – including AI and quantum computing – through interdisciplinary discovery, ensuring our research delivers enduring social, environmental, and economic benefits for our communities, while preparing our graduates for leadership in a rapidly evolving digital economy.”
The MoU between the new partners focuses on three key pillars, the first concerning digital skills development, where participating students can actively partake in NTT Data engagements through a co-designed early careers program featuring integrated learning placements, further providing an employment pathway into a global technology advisory and services company.
Secondly, the Parkville precinct collaboration will look to extend Melbourne University’s existing research ecosystem and established relationships with local hospitals, medical research institutes, and other organisations based at the hub, with NTT Data’s integration aimed at enhancing digital infrastructure to help unlock fresh opportunities for shared innovation.
Industrial challenges
More broadly, Melbourne Uni and NTT Data will also collaborate on their own joint research and industry opportunities, both in Australia and abroad, prioritising projects which address critical industrial challenges. The first of these is the development of bio-digital twins for cardiovascular health, while later projects will focus on AI, cybersecurity, and quantum technologies.
“Together we have an opportunity to define the next decade of how technology serves people,” said NTT Data CEO David McKeering. “Our goal is to build a partnership focused on co-creation, merging academic rigour with industry intelligence to solve the challenges ahead while providing students with a global stage and researchers with a real-world engine.”
Both the most recent Times Higher Education and QS World university rankings for 2026 rated the University of Melbourne as Australia’s leading academic institute, with the latter placing it at 19th globally, one spot above UNSW, with research a particular strong point as to a ‘citations per faculty’ metric, outperforming the likes of Cambridge and Oxford.
Reflecting further, McKeering added; “It’s an absolute privilege to formalise a partnership that I believe establishes a new benchmark for industry-academic co-creation for Australia’s digital future. Beyond the talent pipeline, we want to ensure that the incredible research happening here doesn’t just stay in a lab but finds a home where it can truly make a difference.”
University partnerships
Other tech consultancy collaborations with Australian universities include Deakin and Infosys, Fujitsu with Macquarie via an AI research lab, and Accenture and Deloitte at respectively the now-merged University of South Australia and University of Adelaide. The other tech arms of Big Four are also in on the act, including EY at Swinburne and KPMG with the University of Newcastle.
