“It will drive innovation for clients in industries including aerospace, automotive, consumer goods, industrial equipment, renewable energy and transit. It will connect them to our global network of innovation centres for X.0 Industry, including France, Germany, Italy and the United States.”

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) is expanding its Industry X.0 Innovation Network in Europe with a new centre in Bilbao. The Industry X.0 Innovation Centre will help clients from the Basque Country, Spain and Europe take advantage of digital technologies to transform core industrial operations, worker and customer experiences, and business models.

Located in the Technology Park of Zamudio, Bilbao, the centre opened on April 3, 2019. Iñigo Urkullu, President of the Basque Country Government, and Juan Pedro Moreno, country managing director of Accenture in Iberia, attended the opening.

The new centre allows clients to explore, test and scale innovative IX.0 solutions based on the latest disruptive technologies, to become more efficient and to identify new sources of growth. Recent Accenture research shows the majority of Spanish executives are prioritizing developing innovative products and services (60 percent) and making operations more efficient (60 percent). Three in four recognize the need to become better at applying digital technologies to industry.

Industry X.0 is how Accenture defines the digital reinvention of industry, when businesses use advanced digital technologies to transform their core operations, their worker and customer experiences and ultimately their business models. When applying Industry X.0, new levels of efficiency are achieved in the core of R&D, engineering, production, manufacturing and business support through integrated systems, processes, sensors and new intelligence.

To achieve these goals for clients, Accenture's new centre will collaborate with leading companies and organizations from the industrial innovation ecosystem. This includes technology centres and universities, the Basque Science and Technology Network, and Accenture's global network of innovation centres. It will also have a strong focus on cybersecurity.

"Accenture's new Industry X.0 Innovation Centre in Bilbao will be part of the Industry 4.0 ecosystem of Basque Country," said Juan Pedro Moreno, Accenture CMD in Iberia. "It will drive innovation for clients in industries including aerospace, automotive, consumer goods, industrial equipment, renewable energy and transit. It will connect them to our global network of innovation centres for X.0 Industry, including France, Germany, Italy and the United States."

Its international focus positions the centre uniquely in Basque Country's industrial ecosystem. A key differentiator is the centre's combination of five capabilities for clients: industrial intelligence, connected worker, agile operations, service operations, and industrial cybersecurity - enabled by a range of applied technologies. These include extended reality, digital twins, artificial intelligence, machine learning, 5G, Industrial IoT, blockchain, and collaborative robotics. The range of services provided to clients span ideation, co-creation and scaling of new business strategies, prototypes, case studies, and solutions.

"There is opportunity for the Spanish industry to improve its competitiveness in the global economy through the right combination of digital technologies and business models," said Carlos Gallego, managing director of Industry X.0 in Accenture. "Our research shows that many companies aren't getting greater efficiency, cost savings and business growth from their digital investments. It's vital they reinvent their operating models and redefine their value chain to become true X.0 companies. We are committed to help Spanish companies master the digital reinvention of industry, which is a key sector of the country's economy."

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions — underpinned by the world's largest delivery network — Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With 477,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.

Accenture Industry X.0 helps businesses master the digital reinvention of industry when they use advanced digital technologies to transform core operations and unlock new revenue streams and business models. We support every aspect of our clients' multi-phase transformation including workforce, customer experience, R&D, engineering, manufacturing, business support and ecosystems. Visit www.accenture.com/industry-x0.

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