Roche’s new Digital Centre of Excellence aims to lead global innovations

New Delhi: Pharmaceutical company Roche recently inaugurated its state-of-the-art digital Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Pune, India. Spanning an impressive 200,000 square feet, the campus is set to host nearly 1,300 experts dedicated to harnessing the latest technologies. From data analytics to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), the centre aims to drive innovation at the intersection of healthcare and technology.

Raja Jamalamadaka, MD at Roche Information Solutions, India, interacting with ETHealthworld, shed light on the centre's pivotal role in meeting the global company's evolving digital needs. “Roche has invested significantly in this centre to ensure it thrives as a hub for cutting-edge work. The centre's role is to utilise technology to develop innovative digital solutions at the forefront of advancements. The 1300 experts would work towards creating innovative solutions that leverage the power of the newest technologies, including data and analytics, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML),” he said.

He believes that investing in AI and ML can drive growth and innovation in the pharmaceutical industry, allowing companies to leverage data effectively for better decision-making and outcomes. Data plays a pivotal role, making proficiency in areas like data analytics, AI, ML and data quality indispensable.

Addressing the question on new jobs being added, Jamalamadaka expressed his keen focus on quality and excellence. He stated that the company is actively recruiting professionals skilled in various domains. “From quality assurance specialists to customer service experts and process facilitators, we are prioritising talent that ensures the seamless execution of our digital initiatives,” explained Jamalamadaka.

“Our focus extends to areas like ServiceNow and DevOps engineering, which are crucial for our operations. Our informatics organisation plays a significant role in optimising our internal value chain, making it another vital area of focus for us. While laboratory automation remains a core focus, we anticipate expanding our focus to incorporate more domains in the future,” he further added.

Sharing his vision for growth, Jamalamadaka stated that the company plans to collaborate closely with academic institutions, fostering research partnerships to enhance the overall ecosystem. “We anticipate growth in both quantity and quality, along with deeper involvement in cutting-edge innovation and industry partnerships. Our vision is to transition into a Global Value Centre, providing core digital solutions essential for Roche's operations worldwide.”