Net Zero Future: Johnson Controls Unveils OpenBlue Center in Bengaluru
Business and government leaders can see how AI-driven energy and emissions reductions are critical to India’s net zero climate goals. Johnson Controls debuts a first-of-its-kind virtual reality building experience, allowing visitors to explore an immersive, end-to-end net zero building program.
Johnson Controls’ advanced global research and development on AI, net zero buildings, and advancements in building health, safety, and comfort Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), a global leader in smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, announced the official opening of its largest state-of-the-art OpenBlue Innovation Centre in Bengaluru, Karnataka, June 12, 2023, The new center provides hands-on demonstrations of net zero building technology as well as a live demonstration of Johnson Controls OpenBlue with cloud, edge, and AI.
”The answer to one of the most urgent challenges of our time, climate change, lies in systemic digitalization in buildings, using cloud, edge, and AI to unite, automate and optimize systems,” said Vijay Sankaran, chief technology officer at Johnson Controls.
“OpenBlue represents a new frontier of digitalization that is helping buildings reach net zero emissions, and even become net energy positive. India is at the heart of technological innovations, and we are excited to expand our OpenBlue network here. Together with the thriving tech ecosystem here, we look forward to uncovering new possibilities in advancing net zero solutions for the building sector.”
This third, largest, and most advanced OpenBlue Innovation Centre in India demonstrates Johnson Controls’ growing presence in the country, as well as its commitment to supporting India’s G20 leadership priorities of sustainability and digitalization, as well as its long-term climate commitments. The new center is driving innovation to accelerate India’s net zero progress by focusing on breakthrough AI and innovations in sustainable, energy-efficient building technology.
The Bengaluru center will also house India’s first experience center, which will provide business and government leaders with hands-on demonstrations of building technology in action. It will demonstrate Johnson Controls OpenBlue, a suite of connected solutions that leverage cloud, edge, and AI technology, in a fully operational, live environment.
Customers will be able to interact with the digital twin, which is a digital replica of a smart building’s assets, processes, places, systems, and devices. Access control technologies, computer vision with video analytics, and fire safety solutions with 3D-printed models are among the other demonstrations.
Visitors can also explore the creation and operational nuances of smart, energy-efficient, net zero emission buildings in the Johnson Controls virtual reality experience. The experience aims to assist customers in developing their own net zero goal.
Sankaran, Bhaskar Ghosh, chief strategy officer at Accenture, Sivakumar Selva Ganapathy, vice president of OpenBlue India software engineering and Asia-Pacific solutions at Johnson Controls India, and Divya Jha, director of human resources at Johnson Controls India presided over the inauguration of the Johnson Controls OpenBlue Innovation Centre in Bengaluru.
“Decarbonisation of buildings is a key imperative to achieving the national net zero goals, as buildings contribute nearly 40% of global emissions, and traditionally waste a lot of energy,” said Ganapathy.
“We believe that digitalization of buildings is the biggest, quickest way to address and realize net zero buildings in India, and this must happen concurrently across every industry. Johnson Controls’ expansion of its OpenBlue Innovation Centre network marks a milestone on that path. It is sure to play a pivotal role in deepening our comprehensive net zero building offering, and to accelerate our country’s path to an emission-free future.”
Johnson Controls has spent 30 years in India, establishing three manufacturing and five engineering centers and employing over 8,000 people, including 3,000 engineers. With over 300 engineers, the OpenBlue Innovation Centre in Bengaluru begins operations.
Over the next two years, additional positions will be created, including R&D, digital twin, and edge engineers, AI and computer vision scientists, cyber security specialists, and site reliability engineers. Johnson Controls hopes to make India a strategic hub for smart building innovation by opening this new center in one of India’s most popular destinations for IT and engineering talent.
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