Memory chip supplier Qimonda (QI) has opened its new development center in Suzhou.

"The new Development Center in Suzhou is another strategic step to expand our activities in the Asian market, which represented more than 30 percent of Qimonda's revenues in the last quarter," said Kin Wah Loh, president and CEO of Qimonda. "Furthermore we expect fruitful synergies with our existing back end facility in Suzhou to result in cost reductions by sharing existing infrastructure, central functions and expensive installations such as the test equipment."

The additional development capacities will serve Qimonda's target to further expand and diversify its product portfolio. It will be installed in the existing facility for the assembly and testing of memory ICs in the Suzhou Industrial Park.

The Qimonda Memory Products Development Center (Suzhou) Co. Ltd will be an independent entity wholly owned by Qimonda AG whose total investment is expected to amount to US$20 million. Development center activities are scheduled to start on October 1, 2007, together with the hiring of respective engineers at Chinese universities. Qimonda targets to employ 200 engineers within five years.