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The new European Research Institute will serve
as a hub overseeing the company's 18 European research and
development sites as well as carry out research in 5G telecom
technology with European partners, it said.
In recent years Huawei executives, including founder Ren
Zhengfei, have detailed a strategy shift away from the United
States - where political sensitivities over cybersecurity have
hampered the Chinese firm - and towards Europe, a growth market
where customers such as Deutsche Telekom, Orange and Vodafone
are expected to spend heavily.
Sales in Europe, the Middle East and Africa grew 20 percent in
2014 to 101 billion yuan ($16.27 billion), far higher than any
region except China, where sales grew 31 percent, according to
the privately-held company's published results.
European governments have proved more friendly to Shenzhen-based
Huawei, which pledged last year to double its number of research
and development employees in the continent to 1,700. The company
currently runs 5G research divisions in Surrey, England and
Munich, Germany, among other locations.
Huawei declined to disclose the amount invested in the new
institute, but rotating chief executive Guo Ping said in a
statement the company viewed Europe as a "favorable industrial
environment" and would strengthen its cooperation with European
industry and academia.
(Reporting by Gerry Shih, editing by David Evans)
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