Home Depot building its future at Georgia Tech

Home Depot’s efforts to advance tech innovation in retail will be getting a big boost from the company’s latest initiative.

The retailer has partnered with the Georgia Institute of Technology to create a cutting-edge research center, focused on advancing tech innovations, education and giving young talent an opportunity to grow. The new Home Depot Technology Center will allow the company to work with more than 40 start-up companies housed at Georgia Tech.

“Our working with Georgia Tech in this capacity provides a unique opportunity for the Georgia Tech community to learn more about The Home Depot, and it builds a strong partnership for students to consider us for future employment upon graduation,” said Martin Key, director of IT and site leader at the Home Depot Technology Center.

Through this new facility, the company will collaborate with students at the Atlanta-based university in their cutting-edge research center. A select group of 20 students work alongside three Home Depot associates in the 6,500 square foot facility. The Home Depot Technology Center focuses on major areas for innovation, such as virtual reality, 3D printing and 3D scanning.

“I think there is a lot of up-and-coming location-based technology that will be useful in stores,” said Preston Turner, a Georgia Tech undergraduate studying computer science. “I also believe there’s a lot of room for advances in the check-out process. If Home Depot keeps doing what they are doing, I could definitely see myself working in this field, looking at new technology and seeing how we can apply them in places we haven’t applied them before.”