Singapore, Feb 22 (IANS): Dell Technologies has opened a $50 million innovation facility in Singapore focusing on research and development (R&D) in key digital transformation technologies.

It is the company's first such facility to be built outside the US to to research in areas including edge computing, data analytics, and augmented reality.

"The world needs technology now more than ever. In encouraging the adoption of digital solutions and new technologies, strengthening our product and process innovation system, and engaging the talent pipeline, we believe we are paving the path for a more resilient, progressive, inclusive, and sustainable economy," said Amit Midha, Dell's president of Asia-Pacific Japan and global digital cities.

According to a ZDNet report, Midha said more than 160 new roles would be added by year-end to support the innovation hub, including designers and developers.

Dell this month launched a skills accelerator programme in Singapore, offering to equip 3,000 students, fresh graduates, and mid-career professionals over the next two years with skills in cloud computing, data protection, data science, and big data analytics.

Midha said the Covid-19 pandemic had expanded every organisation's remote workforce.

"It underscored the need to figure out how innovation could be facilitated while employees worked from home or remotely," he was quoted as saying.