Watch: NTT Data's UK CEO on why it is investing in the UK in spite of Brexit

Simon Williams opens up about the vendor's £68m injection into the UK and how it plans to be a disruptor in the market

Japanese firm NTT Data has opened its new London innovation centre with the announcement of a £68m investment in its UK operations.

NTT Data UK CEO Simon Williams revealed the news at the opening of the £40m innovation centre, which was attended by secretary for international trade Liam Fox, as well as top execs from NTT.

A number of the vendor's offerings were on display at the launch, including its real-time 3D mapping capabilities, a robot designed to aid the elderly with simple healthcare processes, and technology used for biometric monitoring of sportspeople.

The funding includes a commitment to recruit 350 employees a year to its UK business, focusing on roles that require technical skills, including specialist knowledge in artificial intelligence, DevOps and big data.

The money will also be used to expand its Birmingham site and open a new office in Scotland, in order to facilitate clients and initiate a partnership programme with start-ups to help them scale quicker.

Williams sat down with CRN at the event to reveal why the firm is funnelling money into the UK at a time of great economic uncertainty and what else the channel can expect from this move.