Texas-based travel tech firm Sabre Corporation  unveiled its new Boston Innovation Lab today, by commemorating the occasion with a a ribbon cutting ceremony, attended by VIPSs Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, Sabre CEO Sean Menke and Sabre Labs president and former Google executive, Sundar Narasimhan.

“Sabre has a long history of technology leadership in retailing, distribution and fulfillment of the USD1.7 trillion travel marketplace,” said CEO Sean Menke. “Over the past two years, we have focused on reinvigorating and transforming Sabre to continue to accelerate innovation to the market. Today we take an important step in that journey by opening our Innovation Lab in Boston, where we look forward to exciting developments that will result from partnerships with our customers and technology partners.”

“Boston was an obvious choice for the location of our Innovation Hub”

The Innovation Lab will serve as the headquarters for Sabre Labs, Sabre’s global research and development arm that explores novel uses of big data, machine learning, AI and other emerging technologies to shape the future of travel. Sabre strategically selected Boston’s popular Seaport District and plans to draw upon the City’s innovation economy powered by its world-renowned research institutions and community of leading technology companies.

“Boston was an obvious choice for the location of our Innovation Hub,” said Sundar Narasimhan, president of Sabre Labs and Product Strategy. “It has a vibrant technology community and access to talent from the nation’s foremost technical universities. In this Lab, our team of software engineers will work in close collaboration with Sabre’s product development teams and customers to accelerate ideas into next-generation solutions that reimagine the business of travel.”

The Innovation Lab, located at 321 Summer St., is a 10,635 square foot workspace that is expected to add 60 jobs to the Boston economy. It will expand Sabre’s statewide presence which includes a Sabre Hospitality Solutions office in Watertown, and a global workforce that totals nearly 9,000 in all.