With Applied Innovation Exchange in Singapore, Capgemini Sharpens Focus on Southeast Asia

Capgemini recently rolled out its Applied Innovation Exchange (AIE) located in Singapore. The exchange is said to deliver a robust service catalogue, within an ecosystem of other AIEs, including a focus in areas such as data analytics, visualization, artificial intelligence and cognitive computing. It is Capgemini’s first AIE in Southeast Asia and 10th globally, in addition to its complement of Applied Innovation Discovery Centers. In line with Singapore’s ‘Smart Nation’ vision which is designed to harness digital technologies as powerful catalysts for change, the AIE will strengthen Singapore’s reputation as an innovation hub by expanding the region’s innovation capacity and bolstering the development of local talent, to co-create a technology-enabled future.

Capgemini’s AIE enables local and regional organizations to future-proof themselves, by proactively planning for forthcoming transformations by responding in an agile way that breaks with the traditional siloed models of Research & Development (R&D). In an interaction with Dataquest, Lanny Cohen, Global CTO and member of the Group Executive Committee at Capgemini emphasized that Singapore would be Capgemini’s innovation headquarter for APAC. “The AIE will focus on a broad range of capabilities such as data analytics, artificial intelligence, IoT and cognitive computing, etc. Our focus will be on improving the digital customer experience,” says Cohen.

Capgemini eyes the growing ecosystem of start-ups with AIE and wishes to further enhance its reach within them. Startups are putting a lot of effort to innovate at a scale and helping the market in various ways. “Singapore and South East Asia being one of the major hubs for start-up activities, it makes sense for us to open an AIE here. We are reaching out the startup community and hence envision that the platform will help start-ups in many ways. It will help them experience the technology which will be partner in their growth,” adds Cohen. He further outlines that from the beginning, the Singapore AIE will be working with Capgemini’s partners and academic institutions in Singapore, to develop a databank of knowledge and expertise specifically for Singapore. It will also work globally with existing AIEs in locations such as London, Munich, Mumbai, Paris, and San Francisco.

.“Businesses are now focused on how to embrace and apply innovation with speed and scale in a secure and sustainable way. This requires a new way of thinking and working, in which companies drive corporate innovation through collaboration with a broad innovation ecosystem, to reinvent themselves for tomorrow’s business challenges,” said Lanny Cohen, Global Chief Technology Officer and member of the Group Executive Committee at Capgemini. “With its vibrant start-up scene and business friendly environment, Singapore is the vanguard of Asia’s rise as an innovation superpower and the perfect location for Capgemini to establish our first AIE in Southeast Asia.”

If the company is to be believed, tThe AIE enables companies to systematically work through the process of innovation, uncover and experiment with new creative ideas, while simultaneously remaining agile enough to respond to the constant market and technology shifts. Companies from industries such as automotive, manufacturing, consumer products and retail, banking and insurance, and energy and utilities have used this framework to help to drive real and sustainable growth opportunities for their businesses. The new AIE will also function as a gateway to broader and deeper knowledge by providing businesses from Singapore and neighbouring nations access to a wider global ecosystem of emerging technologies and innovation collaborators, as well as to the entirety of Capgemini’s leading innovation capabilities and expertise.