General Electric (GE) has officially opened its new European Global Research Center in Garching, near Munich, Germany, at an event hosted by Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt. This state-of-the-art 10,000-square-meter-facility is the latest addition to GE's $4 billion worldwide technology development effort.
Since 2001, GE has made a $100 million investment in its New York R&D headquarters, opened a $64 million research facility in Shanghai, China, and made an initial $52 million investment in this European center, as the company expands its capacity for advanced technology development.
By 2005, the new European Global Research Center will be home to 150 scientists and engineers, who will develop technology to support GE's future growth. Scientists at the center will conduct advanced research into enabling technologies for future products and services, working closely with the GE businesses to define the future technological needs of the company's European customers. The center will focus on four main research areas:
•Alternative energy generation technologies, particularly hydrogen, biomass and fuel cells.
•Electrical systems for renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and water.
•Specialized sensors for automotive, biological and harsh environment applications.
•Advanced medical imaging technologies, such as ultrasound, high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and molecular imaging.
GE's decision to invest in this new technology center in Europe is part of its commitment to grow revenue through technological leadership. "We win in the market by bringing life-changing innovations to our customers," said GE Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Immelt. "We're fuelling our future growth today by expanding our capacity for innovation and bringing technology development closer to our European customers. Technology leadership produces the best products, wins competitive battles and creates and expands markets."
The European center is GE's fourth Global Research facility, in addition to the Global Research headquarters in Niskayuna, New York, the John F. Welch Technology Center in Bangalore, India and the China Technology Center in Shanghai. The new center is located on the campus of the Technical University of Munich.
For more information, visit www.ge.com.