IBM plans to locate its first Client Center for Advanced Analytics in Columbus, Ohio, creating at least 500 high-tech jobs in the region during the next three years.

The center, at IBM’s Sterling Common’s campus on Lakehurst Court, will offer a foundation for broad public and private sector collaboration. According to IBM, the facility will be dedicated to advancing research, development, client services and skills training in the areas of analytics, big data and cognitive computing. The aim of the project is to create new analytics jobs and nurture economic development in the region. As an incentive IBM is eligible to participate in the state’s JobsOhio tax incentive program.

In addition, IBM will partner with Ohio State to develop job-ready graduates through new course curriculum in its graduate and undergraduate programs. The new higher education collaboration between IBM and Ohio State will help develop students with the high demand analytics skills necessary to drive the economy of the future.

"Data is a powerful natural resource that if used wisely can drive U.S. economic competitiveness and lead to rewarding careers in the future dedicated to building a smarter planet," said Mike Rhodin, Senior Vice President, IBM Software Solutions Group. "This center will have a tremendous amount to offer: world-class educational institutions, a highly-educated workforce, industry-leading businesses and – perhaps most important of all – will serve as the foundation of a community of innovators that will transform industries around the world."

In this new era of computing, IBM is developing innovative approaches to tackling big data, such as breakthrough technologies like IBM Watson, a new class of industry specific analytical capability that uses deep content analysis, evidence-based reasoning and natural language processing to identify relationships buried in large volumes of data that can be used to improve decision making, IBM said.

"Our strong collaboration with IBM will help our students across a variety of majors gain the latest skills in this burgeoning Big Data discipline and set them on a path to secure the high skilled jobs of the future," said Christine A. Poon, dean, Ohio State's Fisher College of Business.

As part of its Academic Initiative, IBM is providing Ohio State with curriculum materials, relevant case studies, access to a wide spectrum of software solutions, IBM guest speakers and faculty awards to accelerate program development.