China's tech giant Huawei opens new research center in France

PARIS - Chinese tech giant Huawei opened a new research and development center (R&D) in France in a bid "to support companies in their digital transformation project", it announced in a statement Wednesday.

Located in Grenoble, southeastern France, Huawei's fifth R&D Center "will bring together up to 30 researchers by 2020 working on topics related to sensors and software," it said.

According to Huawei, the center was the fruit of "a positive result" of three-year scientific cooperation with ST Microelectronics, its first French technology partner.

"Present in France for 16 years, Huawei has only one ambition: to offer the best technological solutions to our customers and partners so that they can develop their international competitiveness," said Shi Weiliang, Huawei France's general director.

"For us, this means constant investments in favor of innovation and daily commitment to the French economic fabric. We are proud to contribute to the digital ecosystem in France," he added.

Huawei invests between 10 and 15 percent of its turnover in R&D each year. In 2017, it poured $13.8 billion in innovative projects and research, according to Shi.