NTT Data launches new collaborative innovation centre in Sydney
Global technology consultancy NTT DATA has launched a new collaborative innovation hub in Sydney aimed at accelerating next-generation AI adoption for clients across the A/NZ region.
The ‘Innovation Centre Australia’ (ICA) forms part of NTT DATA’s global R&D ecosystem, and intends to bring together a range of industry stakeholders to help organisations progress past the AI proof-of-concept stage into full-scale implementations.
A number of dignitaries including Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore were present for the launch of the new hub – the firm’s second such unveiling this year after having in February signed a partnership with the University of Melbourne to drive research and innovation.
“By establishing a dedicated space for technology co-creation, NTT Data invests further in being the strategic partner that companies and governments can trust to operationalise AI and implement visionary technologies securely, responsibly, and at scale,” said NTT Data’s A/NZ executive general manager David McKeering, who joined the firm from PwC in mid-2024.
In line with the launch, NTT Data cited its own research that found that regional enterprises are getting bogged down in isolated testing loops in their efforts to deploy AI despite widespread investments, constrained by siloed trials, fragmented data foundations, escalating data governance, cybersecurity concerns, and capacity constraints, which the new centre hopes to address.
The ICA will bring together global industry leaders, government agencies, academic institutions, start-up accelerators, and partners and clients to co-create, test and scale breakthrough solutions with a focus on six emerging technologies, including cybersecurity & quantum cryptography, satellite & earth observability, physical AI, photonics & networking, and digital twin simulation.
Along with supporting financial services, telco, energy, and logistics providers with their risk and supply chain processes, NTT gave the example of how the integration of these technologies could help to improve public safety and resilience against natural disasters, such as through simulating complex environmental threats and modelling their real-time impact on critical infrastructure.
“Innovating for the future is not something any single organisation can do on its own,” McKeering said. “Lasting impact relies on deep collaboration, bringing together industry leaders, global tech partners, and government to solve complex, real-world challenges side by side. Technology only finds its true value when it serves a human purpose and looks after our communities.”
