Huawei has unveiled plans for a highly automated manufacturing plant located in France, in a location yet to be named. Earlier this month, the executive in charge of Huawei France announced the decision to invest in a new R&D centre in the country and revealed that the company had chosen Europe as the base of its first factory outside China dedicated to 5G equipment.
Huawei said that France offered an ideal geographic position for the new plant, as well as mature industrial infrastructure and a highly educated labour force. The facility will primarily manufacture 4G and 5G supplies for European customers, supporting the company’s commitment to operating “in Europe, for Europe.”
An initial investment of over EUR 200 million has been earmarked for the building, covering land purchase, construction, and sourcing of highly advanced production equipment. The plant will integrate a demonstration centre that will showcase base station production, software loading, and testing processes. This centre will welcome telecom operators, as well as professional bodies and government representatives, in what Huawei described as proof of its positive stance on Europe’s call for digital sovereignty.
The factory is expected to manufacture EUR 1 billion worth of products annually and create 500 direct jobs. The Chinese equipment maker said that its current European workforce counts over 12,000 employees and that, directly and indirectly, its presence in Europe generated approximately 170,000 jobs.
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Telecompaper
