Infosys, a global leader in consulting, technology and next-generation services, has announced that it will open its North Carolina Technology and Innovation Hub in Raleigh, where it plans to hire 2,000 U.S. workers by 2021.
The new hub, which will open in early 2018, will occupy 60,000 square feet and anchor the 121,000-square-foot Legacy at Brier Creek building at Brier Creek Parkway. The company plans to hire the first 500 workers in Raleigh innovation hub within two years, with the remainder to be hired by 2021. While Infosys had previously announced it would be locating the hub in Wake County’s Research Triangle region, the specific location was disclosed this week.
“The North Carolina Technology and Innovation Hub is part of Infosys’ investment in the future of the U.S. tech workforce and will focus on delivering cutting-edge solutions in artificial intelligence, machine learning, data and advanced analytics, cloud and big data,” said Ravi Kumar, Infosys president and deputy chief operating officer. “The hub, located in the innovation incubator of Raleigh, will support the development of co-created solutions for our valued clients in North Carolina and the surrounding region.”
The area’s talent pool and educational resources were key factors in the company’s selection of the Research Triangle area for what is one of the largest projects, in terms of new jobs, in Wake County history.
“Attracting and retaining a skilled and motivated workforce is crucial to Infosys,” Kumar said. “And the new tech hub — along with the robust training program we are developing with the North Carolina Community College System and proximity to Tier 1 research universities — will expand Infosys’ existing North Carolina network to better serve clients in the IT, life sciences, clean technology and advanced manufacturing sectors.”
Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane said the city “welcomes Infosys as a key member of our community, further bolstering Raleigh’s already strong technology economy, which has seen technology jobs grow at a rate more than double the national average over the last five years.”
New hires will include recent graduates from the state’s prestigious network of colleges, universities such as Duke and North Carolina State and community colleges, as well as local professionals who will benefit from advancing their skills through Infosys’ world-class training curriculum. The company and Wake Technical Community College are jointly creating a customized workforce training program for Infosys, as part of the effort to fill 2,000 new jobs over five years.
“Wake Technical Community College is developing a comprehensive upskilling program, in partnership with Infosys, to train the workforce of the future,” said Maureen Little, vice president of economic development for the North Carolina Community College System. “We plan to include pre-employment training, where candidates experience a short-term realistic job preview, as well as extensive post-employment training that will focus on technical and soft skills.”