IBM opens its first ever Melbourne R&D lab

Housed in Melbourne, Australia, IBM claims the new facility will focus on 'accelerating progress towards a smarter planet'. According to the electronics giant, the laboratory will apply advanced computing to work towards better management of natural resources, diseases and agricultural yields. Advanced techniques in monitoring, analytics and automation will be used to study the areas, as well as real time event stream processing, weather modelling, traffic management and mobility analytics. Employing around 150 people within five years, IBM says it has started assembling a team of research scientists and projects are already underway with key partners such as the University of Melbourne. Dr John Kelly, IBM senior vice president and director of IBM Research, pictured, said: "The lab will work with Australia's top scientists and engineers from academia, government and industry to extend IBM's global R&D footprint and increase its impact on our clients and make the world work better. We look forward to working with the Australian technical and scientific community on some of the most pressing problems and greatest opportunities of our time."