Infosys opens design and innovation studio in London

The launch event was attended by more than 200 people, including minister for investment Graham Stuart, Trade Commissioner for South Asia Crispin Simon, Deputy CEO of techUK Antony Walker, president and principal of

King’s College London Professor Ed Byrne, clients, partners, design schools, local start-ups and students.

The Infosys Experience Design & Innovation Studio, located at the heart of Silicon Roundabout in Shoreditch, London, is designed to enable co-creation and co-innovation between Infosys and its clients at both speed and scale. “Powered by Brilliant Basics – Infosys’ experience design arm in Europe, known for its world-class design thinking-led approach and expertise in delivering global customer experience – the studio aims to bring a design-led mindset and customer-centric focus to clients’ digital transformation agendas,”the company stated in a release.

The studio proposes to hire talent with capabilities in experience design, innovation strategy and customer-centric technologies, and will focus on the development of emerging technologies for use in a wide range of UK businesses, including those in financial services, manufacturing, retail and telecom.

The studio, covering 20,000 ft with capacity for 250 employees, has been developed to provide clients with an opportunity to work alongside Infosys for innovative thinking in a dynamic environment. It features a wellness zone, a usability lab and a range of creative spaces. The studio will also provide local start-ups with the opportunity to showcase their products to clients.

Infosis also announced a new academic and research partnership with King’s College London. “King’s already partners with Infosys’ InStep global internship programme, and with the new studio the initiative broadens the engagement into academic training and research areas such as artificial intelligence, innovation and digital humanities,” the release said.

The London design studio reinforces Infosys’ connected network of studios spanning the globe – from New York, LA, Berlin and Melbourne to Bengaluru and Pune.

“Our global network of connected studios brings together the best of design and technology, knowledge, innovation and experience from across the world to drive the digital agenda for clients locally. We have invested in the heart of Silicon Roundabout in London because of the larger presence of entrepreneurs, innovative start-up ecosystem, proximity to some of the world's largest and most successful brands and the access to diverse talent. In addition, to enhance the availability of relevant talent, we are partnering with universities across the UK, through academic partnerships, to develop digital talent,” Ravi Kumar S, President, Infosys, said.

“The opening of Infosys’ new site in Shoreditch is another strong vote of confidence in the UK’s flourishing tech sector and London’s ability to attract the biggest and best international tech firms. Infosys’ new Design & Innovation Studio will support jobs, drive growth at home and abroad, and contribute to Europe’s leading tech cluster. My department will continue to work hard to ensure the benefits of international investment are felt across the country, and the UK maintains its position as the top destination for foreign direct investment in Europe,” UK’s minister for investment Graham Stuart said.

“We at King’s are excited to partner with Infosys - a global leader in next-generation digital services and technology. Our engagement with the Design and Innovation Studio offers opportunities to our students and also to our academics. I look forward to the development of a strong collaborative research portfolio in multidisciplinary areas and to our students being exposed to innovation and entrepreneurship, with emphasis on closing the gender gap in STEM. The agreement signed today formalises this unique industry-academia partnership,” Professor Ed Byrne, president and principal, King’s College London, said.

“We will be showcasing the best of our design expertise, along with Infosys technologies such as AI, 5G, IoT and others, in this futuristic studio that demonstrates our customer-centric approach to solving clients' business problems at start-up speed. We have ambitious plans to recruit the best talent from across the UK and at this studio we want to create a world-class employee and client experience by combining the tech of physical design, digital technologies and emotional wellbeing for our diverse team members. We are thrilled to add London to our global network of design and innovation studios and for it to become one of our key hubs,” Anand Verma, founder and CEO, Brilliant Basics, an Infosys Company, said.

Antony Walker, Deputy CEO, techUK, said, “It is great to see Infosys continue to invest in the UK. The investment in Brilliant Basics is another great example of global tech companies seeking out cutting edge UK digital design. We welcome this news and look forward to seeing the benefit of this exciting initiative.”

Rajesh Agrawal, Deputy Mayor for Business, said: “The expansion of Infosys to this new site in Shoreditch is very exciting, and demonstrates that London remains a true leader in innovative digital design. It will create jobs, support the development of new talent and encourage collaborative working, and I am delighted another global company wants to make the capital its home.”