Targeted for completion in late 2013, the facility will be located inHCM City and employ up to 200 local engineers.
"Today isan important milestone in our history in Vietnam and reflects oursupport for the modernising of the country's infrastructure – a criticalstep in its path towards sustainable growth and prosperity,” said GEvice chairman and president/CEO of GE's global growth operations, JohnRice.
"We have plans to expand into application engineering andproduction design for our power and water and health care businesses.
"The centre will create high-quality jobs in a region known for its professional workforce."
The company has been in HCM City since 2001 with interests inoil and gas, power and water, energy management, healthcare, andaviation.
Since 2009 it has invested more than 110 million USDin its manufacturing facility in the northern port city of Hai Phong ,which employs 600 engineers and skilled workers. Wind turbinegenerators and other energy products manufactured in Hai Phong areexported to GE's manufacturing and service centres around the globe. Itstotal exports since inception stands at 271 million USD.
Thecompany has established local partnerships to address the needs inenergy infrastructure and for the region's first wind farm in the CuuLong ( Mekong ) Delta.
"GE understands the challenges thatVietnam is now facing, but we remain confident in the country'spotential for long-term growth," Rice said.
GE has been in Vietnam since 1993 starting with a representative office in Hanoi .
In 2003 it established a fully-owned firm in the country to offer arange of after-sales services for medical, electrical, and energyequipment.-VNA