The Intel Corporation yesterday unveiled a research and development centre in Shanghai's Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone.

The computer chip company has invested over US$500 million in Shanghai over the past decade to build three assembly and testing plants.

The newest centre, entitled Intel Technology Development (Shanghai) Ltd, was set up with an investment of US$39 million.

Soon Chong Beng, site general manager for Intel Products (Shanghai) Ltd, said the centre would serve Intel's worldwide business needs but with a focus on the Chinese and Asian markets.

"The establishment of the centre in Shanghai is a new chapter of Intel's development in China," he added.

The new centre demonstrates Intel's ongoing commitment to invest in China and promote new technologies, he said.

"We have considered the Shanghai Pudong campus as an important part of our global production chain," said Darin Billerbeck, Vice-President of Intel Communications Group.

Billerbeck said the new centre would help Intel increase its global revenue over the coming years.

Its cellular and embedded revenue accounted for 27 percent of the world market last year, which consumed products valued at US$11 billion.

"We will be able to increase the percentage to 37 in the next few years with the help of the new centre," Billerbeck said.

The centre will develop cutting-edge technology and platforms for Intel's flash products group, assembly technology development division, user-centered platform solutions division and assembly capital equipment development.

"We develop products according to market demands, serving not only the Chinese market but worldwide," Soon said.

The centre will develop and promote advanced cutting-edge technology to push forward the country's IT industry, he said.

"Our objective is to continually improve local technical capabilities to drive industrial and technological development," Soon said.

Intel is showing strong interest in the Asia-Pacific market which, according to Soon, will be Intel's largest sales market.

"China is providing tremendous opportunities for us to expand the business," he added.

Intel's revenue in China's flash memory sector last year reached US$150 million, a year-on-year increase of 42 percent.

Kenneth Brown, packaging development manager of Intel Assembly Technology Development, also announced at Waigaoqiao yesterday the opening of Intel's first packaging technology R&D centre in China, which will focus on developing the next generation of handheld facilities.

(China Daily May 13, 2005)