Huawei to establish Finland R&D center (2)

Kenneth Fredriksen, vice-president of Huawei Central, Eastern and Nordic Europe, said: "The open and innovative environment in Finland is an ideal place for Huawei to strengthen its global R&D capabilities for devices, creating opportunities for both Huawei and the Finnish telecommunications industry."

Founded in 1988, Shenzhen-based Huawei has quickly grown into a leading player in the world's telecom industry and a rising star in the global mobile phone market. Wan Biao, chief executive officer of Huawei Device Co Ltd, said previously that the telecom giant aimed to be among the top three mobile phone manufacturers by 2015.

The company expected to ship 60 million smartphones across the globe in 2012, with its total mobile phone shipments reaching 100 million units during the period, according to Huawei.

Europe has been a key market for both Huawei's telecom equipment and device businesses, said Xiang Ligang, a Beijing-based telecom industry analyst.

"Compared with the North American market, the European market is more open for Huawei," Xiang said. The Finnish center can help Huawei produce more localized products and strengthen Huawei's branding in Europe, he added.

In September, the company announced a $2 billion investment in R&D, local procurement and center of excellence initiatives in the United Kingdom.