Intel to invest 2,300mn Pesos ($177 million) to expand Guadalajara design center

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO: During a press conference with Mexico President Felipe Calderon, Intel Corp. President and CEO Paul Otellini announced the company would invest 2,300 million pesos ($177 million) over three years to expand Intel's Guadalajara Design Center (GDC).

The investment will focus on increasing technology development activities, staffing and technology and education initiatives that support Calderon's National Digital Plan.

The Intel GDC focuses on the design, testing and validation of integrated circuits and other hardware, and education software technologies used in Intel products sold globally. The expansion will include the construction of a new building for technical labs, office space, a technology museum for children and an IT lab to support small- and medium-sized businesses. In addition, approximately 150 additional technical jobs will be created over the next 3 years, bringing the total number of GDC engineers to 550.

"As a global computing leader, we believe that investing in the future of discovery is an essential business decision," Otellini said. "Our team in Mexico will continue to help us do this. This new investment today extends our long-term commitment to Mexico. The highly technical work being done at our research center here has been extraordinary, and today we are taking it to a new level."

The new campus will adhere to world-class design and construction standards and to minimize its impact on the environment. For example, it will seek Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, which provides independent, third-party verification that a building meets the highest green building and performance measures.

The GDC is Intel's largest site in Mexico and where all its technology development activities in Mexico are based. Since it was established 10 years ago, it has grown from 33 employees to over 400 value-added jobs. In addition to technology development activities, the GDC also has several initiatives in place at local universities aimed at fostering the region's technical talent pool. Nearly 100 undergraduate students have participated in these programs in the past 18 months.

Additionally, to make possible the GDC's mission -- to "help to transform prototypes into products" and continue tackling current and future technologies -- the new site will increase its product validation activities. Validation is a critical part of Intel's product development cycle. Since its foundation, the GDC has contributed to the development of more than 40 leading processor and chipset products distributed around the world. The center aims to increase its technical contributions in the upcoming years.

With this investment, Intel also seeks to increase its contribution to the development of the national and local technological ecosystem. For example, more than 20 research and talent development projects have been completed or are underway with the university system. In addition, a multi-core technology lab has been set at the Information Technology Institute of Jalisco to help local small- and medium-sized businesses learn multi-core technologies that will be key for their competitiveness. Also, more than 50 interns spend six to 12 months in the GDC's labs learning about state-of-the-art technologies and engineering processes.

"Innovation results in the making of things, the solving of problems and improvements in society," said Jesus Palomino, general manager of the Guadalajara Design Center. "And, forward-looking government policies like the National Digital Plan, paired with investment in innovation, are at the center of economic growth. Today, Intel is reinforcing its commitment to technology development in Mexico and to supporting the government's plans to use technology to advance the country."