Digital retail operator The Very Group will be one of the first to make use of New York technology services provider Kyndryl’s just opened AI innovation laboratory in Liverpool.

The laboratory at the iconic Royal Liver Building offers advisory and co-creation services and opens with a team of AI and software engineering specialists and degree apprentices focused on AI and data science. The goal is to grow the team and create up to 1000 software engineering and AI-related roles within three years.

The building is powered by energy from wind, solar and hydro sources. It has won multiple Green Apple Environmental awards, is ISO 22301 certified and has had a rooftop beehive producing honey since 2022.

At the lab, Kyndryl professionals will advise businesses in adopting and implementing AI, emerging technologies, and software and platform engineering. It will include a Kyndryl Vital Studio, led by Kyndryl Consult, allowing customers to tackle complex and real-world business problems through designer-led, open collaboration and co-creation.

As part of the hub opening, Kyndryl is expanding its partnership with The Very Group (www.theverygroup.com), the Liverpool-based operator of digital retailers Very and Littlewoods, through a multiyear agreement designed to enhance and accelerate the retailer’s end-to-end digital capabilities. Kyndryl will provide software and platform engineering support, helping The Very Group launch products at speed and enhance the digital customer experience.

“With businesses eager to develop AI capabilities, our new lab represents a significant step in addressing the AI skills gap,” said John Chambers, Kyndryl UK and Ireland president. “Choosing the Royal Liver Building was a proactive decision to celebrate the city’s rich heritage, while aligning with our sustainability goals of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040. Only 29% of leaders currently feel prepared for AI-related challenges, yet the demand for these skills continues to grow. By fostering AI innovation here in Liverpool, we aim to ensure that organisations both locally and beyond are ready to capitalise on the transformative power of AI.”

Liverpool mayor Steve Rotheram added: “The Royal Liver Building has stood as a symbol of our region’s ambition and identity for over a century, so it’s fitting that it is to become home to a project that’s looking firmly to the future. Kyndryl’s new AI inovation lab is a major investment in our region and a massive show of confidence in the talent we have here. It will bring up to 1000 quality jobs, apprenticeships and training opportunities for local people, helping to put our residents at the heart of one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world.”

The lab will leverage Kyndryl’s infrastructure expertise by supporting companies in integrating mission-critical operations via business applications, using global partnerships to accelerate AI and digital transformations.

Kyndryl (www.kyndryl.com) is a provider of mission-critical enterprise technology services offering advisory, implementation and managed service capabilities to thousands of customers in more than 60 countries.