GroupM has announced the launch of GroupM Next, a unit dedicated to centralizing the areas of thought, research, technology and education at its agencies, which include Maxus, MediaCom, MEC and Mindshare in Canada.

The new group will be headed by Chris Copeland, who most recently worked as CEO of GroupM Search. Cary Tilds, who currently works as North American leader of digital media at Mindshare will become the chief innovation officer for GroupM Next.

Copeland tells MiC the creation of the new unit will allow GroupM to dive deeper into areas that clients are asking for more information on, such as research, from a centralized group.

“We have got a real chance in the market to take a stronger stance on thought and research and make technology more integrated, and give our clients better looks at [new-to-market] technology,” he says. “This will allow GroupM to take all the things we are doing for clients and amplify them by putting some collective focus behind it from a central point.”