The new centre will be co-located in Lannion in Brittany and Issy Les Moulineaux in the Paris-Region.
The details were announced following a meeting between Qualcomm Incorporated’s CEO-elect and president, Cristiano Amon, and Agnès Pannier-Runacher, minister delegate for industry in the French government. Qualcomm Communications SARL has been working with the French Government to augment Lannion as a leading telecom engineering hub and retain top talent and technological expertise in this area.
John Smee, vice-president, engineering, Qualcomm Technologies Inc., said: “France already has a leading technical engineering infrastructure in place, so it is a natural fit for this new 5G R&D hub. The 5G R&D team will be working on advanced systems engineering to help define the future of 5G and beyond – and the new centre is a tremendous opportunity for the individuals involved and for the company.”
With a remit to drive 5G development "locally, regionally and globally", the new centre also builds on Qualcomm's established presence in the country; the company has operated facilities in both the Paris region and Sophia Antipolis for more than 20 years.
Wassim Chourbaji, senior vice-president, government affairs, Qualcomm Communications SARL, said: “Our very first office in Europe was opened in France over 20 years ago and this new 5G R&D facility strengthens our relationship with both France and Europe. Europe is fast becoming an epicentre for technology R&D leadership and we are incredibly proud to be part of it.”
