Cypress Semiconductor (CY) has established a new business unit in Shanghai that will centralize its Asia design, manufacturing, sales and marketing operations.

Cypress's sales in China are expected to triple over the next five years. Driving this growth is demand for Cypress's broad line of PSoC mixed-signal array products, West Bridge multimedia peripheral controllers, USB chips and timing devices. Cypress's offerings are used in a wide array of consumer and industrial products including electric bicycles, white goods and handsets.

The new site will be the focal point of Cypress's China expansion, which has included the opening of sales and marketing offices in Hong Kong and Shenzhen in recent years and the ramp-up of device production at Grace Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation in Shanghai.

Cypress plans to double the size of its Chinese workforce in the coming years, with the majority of new employees in sales, design and operations. The company is also expected to add employees in technology and manufacturing to oversee its flexible fab operations.