Rakuten sets up new research center in India to explore practical applications of deep learning
The range of focus areas for Rakuten Institute of Technology Bengaluru will include practical applied research around deep learning to detect and predict financial fraud.
Japanese online services provider Rakuten Inc (TYO:4755) has earlier today unveiled an expansion of its research network. In a press release, Rakuten says it has opened a new office of its dedicated research and development organization, Rakuten Institute of Technology, at its operations center in Bengaluru, India.
Rakuten Institute of Technology Bengaluru is the first research center for the institute in India and the sixth office worldwide. Rakuten Institute of Technology, which aims to harness the creativity and innovation, as well as the potential of emerging technologies to fuel the growth of e-commerce, already has research centers located in Tokyo, Paris, Boston, Singapore and San Mateo.
Masaya Mori, global head of Rakuten Institute of Technology, says:
“India has a vibrant computer science research community in Bengaluru and we look forward to collaborate with academic researchers to discover and develop new technology applications.”
Specific areas of focus for Rakuten Institute of Technology Bengaluru will include:
- Practical applied research around deep learning to detect and predict financial fraud;
- Advancing research of Computer Vision, in particular its applications in e-commerce and medical imaging;
- Advancement of automation to improve efficiency in warehouse robotics and logistics.
Sunil Gopinath, Senior Vice President, Rakuten Institute of Technology Bengaluru, comments:
“Rakuten Institute of Technology Bengaluru has been set up with an aim to strengthen Rakuten Institute of Technology’s global vision of leveraging technology to further improve the convenience of Rakuten’s e-commerce, fintech and digital content services.”
Rakuten’s passion for the development and adoption of new technology solutions has been shown numerous times. About a year ago, for instance, the company announced the launch of Rakuten Accelerator powered by Techstars. The three-month mentorship-driven Rakuten Accelerator seeks to provide innovative startup companies from around the world the chance to shape the future of “Messaging as a Platform” for new technologies. It includes initial funding and three months of mentorship.
