Tata Consultancy Services partners with The Royal College of Art for design lab

Country's largest IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) today said it has partnered The Royal College of Art (RCA) to set up a Design Innovation Lab to help foster design and technology innovation in the UK.

The TCS-RCA Design Innovation Lab will develop and deliver joint research projects at the confluence of design, technology and business, with the goal of filing joint patents and publications, TCS said in a statement.

The Lab, located on the RCA's South Kensington campus in Central London, will also be able to host students on internships and researchers on sabbaticals, it added.

The facility is being development and is due to open officially in September.

The Lab will also act as a showcase centre for leading work from RCA students, TCS customers and partners and as a venue for workshops and industry events.

Under the agreement, TCS customers can access RCA's academic expertise and advice for design projects.

A number of joint projects are already being worked on by TCS and the RCA, including development of a contactless payment concept for a TCS customer and studies focussing on the use of design within insurance and retail.