Fujitsu to invest £22m into UK with new advanced tech centre

IT giant says investment will create 200 jobs in the North West of England.

Fujitsu is planning to make an initial £22m investment to set-up a centre for cognitive and advanced technologies (C-CAT) in the North West of England.

The C-CAT is part of the IT giants' global technology and innovation strategy and will import emerging technology from Japan.

Fujitsu says the centre will bring "further innovation" to the UK and bring 200 high skilled jobs over the next year.

The company's global CTO Vivek Mahajan said :"Fujitsu is committed to and has confidence in the UK. We share the UK Government's ambitions to thrive as a science and technology superpower.

"We recognise the potential of the growing partnership between the UK and Japan, and we will look to contribute to this by building the C-CAT as an innovation bridge between the two countries. The establishment of the Center for Cognitive and Advanced Technologies here demonstrates the UK's importance in our global mission to create a more sustainable world through innovation."

Initially, the C-CAT will be based in an existing site in Manchester but a new permanent campus will be launched later this year as a result of Fujitsu's partnership with the University of Manchester.

The C-CAT will bring together Fujitsu's activity in a range of technologies including quantum, AI, and digital twin technology, providing a direct link to work in Japan.

It will be led by emerging technology expert Dr Keith Dear.

Head of Fujitsu UK Anwen Owen said: "By committing to a series of investments we are showing our confidence in the UK for the long term. Fujitsu is placing the UK at the heart of its approach to innovation globally.

"This initial investment has the potential to grow over the coming years as we build our capability in cognitive and advanced technologies such as quantum, AI and digital twin - to support our goal to revolutionise how individuals and organizations make decisions.

"The establishment of the Centre for Cognitive and Advanced Technologies is just the first step in expanding our UK presence, investing in digital talent and emerging technologies so we can contribute to the UK's science and technology superpower potential."

Following the establishment of the C-CAT Fujitsu will set out details of the second phase later this year with more plans into 2023.