Longtime Research Triangle Park-based IBM exec Deepak Advani has been tapped to lead the firm’s artificial intelligence efforts on the West Coast.

IBM (NYSE: IBM) disclosed that it’s opening a new San Francisco center for Watson, dubbed Watson West.

Watson is IBM’s “Jeopardy”-winning cognitive computing unit.

Advani, head of IBM’s commerce division, is leading the team, which will collaborate closely with the Silicon Valley startup scene, according to a company statement.

Advani has…