TN CM inaugurates Hitachi Energy's global tech and innovation centre

Hitachi, which launched its power generation unit in February this year, has set up its largest technology and innovation centre in Chennai.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin inaugurated the global technology and innovation facility for Hitachi Energy on October 5 in Chennai.

The Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu announced that the government was setting up industry-specific parks with top-notch facilities, announcing policies, and developing innovation centres and skill development centres that help attract significant investments to the State.

Inaugurating the centre, which could provide end-to-end support to business models catering to various segments, Stalin said after his government unveiled the Tamil Nadu Research and Development Policy (2022), there has been an increase in the number of R & D centres, innovation centres, startups and Global Capability Centres (GCCs) opening in the state.

The Chief Minister, while inaugurating Hitachi Energy’s largest Global Technology and Innovation Centre in Chennai, said that since the Tamil Nadu Research and Development Policy, 2022, was unveiled in July last year, there has been a drastic increase in the number of R & D centres, Innovation centres, Startups and Global Capability Centres opening in the State.

The Chief Minister said for the past two years, over 30 GCCs have established their greenfield or brownfield expansions in Tamil Nadu. Such growth is a matter of pride and it increases confidence about Tamil Nadu achieving the USD one trillion economy mark within the year 2030.

Mr. Claudio Facchin, CEO of Hitachi Energy, said the Chennai Centre was a strategic investment to accelerate innovation, digitisation, and engineering capability to support their customers in advancing the world’s energy system to be more sustainable, flexible and secure. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. N.Venu, MD & CEO, India and South Asia, Hitachi Energy, said the Centre supported their vision of made in India for India and the world. The urgency of the energy transition was reflected in our rapidly expanding talent base in the country and the Centre would add another 20 % by the end of 2024.

Such global technology and innovation centres illustrate the worldwide opportunities for local talent and competitiveness. The state government is taking various steps to train youth, domain experts, and entrepreneurs on the latest technologies.

Centres of Excellence and Industrial Innovation Centres (IIC) have been set up. Also, world-class IICs have been established in SIPCOT parks in Sriperumbudur and Hosur.

Hitachi, which launched its power generation unit in February this year, has set up its largest technology and innovation centre in Chennai. Establishing this facility in such a short time is a recognition of good governance in Tamil Nadu.

Thanking Hitachi Energy's leadership for their trust in Tamil Nadu, Stalin said the technology and innovation centre would provide 2,500 high-tech jobs to experts in the energy domain.

''Such world-class innovation and technology centres coming up in Tamil Nadu reflects the quality of our local talent and will further boost the state's vision of becoming a trillion-dollar economy by 2030. I congratulate Hitachi Energy for the inauguration of this state-of-the-art innovation and technology centre and look forward to their inclusive growth journey,'' he said. Stalin handed over internship offer letters to six students to get trained in the innovation centre. The facilitation was made under the state government's Naan Mudalvan (I am the first) scheme. It is an initiative to empower young people by way of measures such as skill development and employment facilitation.
Hitachi Energy's global technology and innovation centre is spread over 3,00,000 sq feet with nearly 50,000 sq feet of dedicated lab space. ''This facility will house over 2,500 energy transition technologists with post-doctorate, doctorate and postgraduate degrees specializing in grid automation, transformers, high-voltage, and grid integration,'' a Hitachi press release said. Designed as a self-sufficient infrastructure, the centre can give end-to-end support to business models catering to various segments.

Claudio Facchin, CEO of Hitachi Energy said, "The Centre in Chennai is a strategic investment that accelerates innovation, digitalization, and engineering capability to support our customers in advancing the world’s energy system to be more sustainable, flexible, and secure. It further reinforces our commitment in India as a critical hub ready to take on the challenges of the transformation of the global future energy system through electrification." Industries Minister TRB Rajaa and senior government officials took part.

The facility aims to foster collaboration toward sustainable, flexible, and secure energy systems in India and around the world.