Intel Corporation, the world’s biggest microprocessor producer, opened, on Monday, in Bucharest, a software research and development centre, following an investment worth “several million euros”.

This is the first Greenfield project that the American company has undertaken, in this sector, in Europe, the deputy president of Intel Software & Services Group, Kostas Katsohirakis, stated, in Bucharest, in a press conference.

The centre will focus on developing solutions for a wide range of intelligent devices based on the Intel architecture. To start with, the centre will be running research and development activities for the MeeGo open source platform. “In Romania we will take on initially 25 programmers, whose number is set to grow three or four times as we go along, once the projects start to diversify. In a few weeks’ time, we will also appoint a country director,” Katsohirakis stated. For the time being, the lab is placed in the city centre, but the company will rent another office, in the long run, in a location that is yet to be set.

“Intel boasts a rich body of experience in the development and manufacturing of microprocessors and we need the best software developers. Romania is an appropriate location, owing to the prolific university environment and to its closeness to our clients and partners,” the deputy president of Intel Software & Services Group added.

In his turn, the director of Intel Labs Europe, Martin Curley, argued that Intel had decided to open a centre in Romania also owing to the success of Wind Rover, the firm through which Intel is developing software solutions in Galati.

On the occasion of the opening of the software research centre, the representatives of Intel Corporation also met, on Monday, at the Victoria Palace, the prime-minister Emil Boc.

According to a release by the Government, “the Intel representatives stated that some of the basic reasons which led to choosing Romania as the destination for this investment project were the highly qualified workforce, as well as the government policy of exempting programmers from taxes.” Prime-minister Boc underlined that the Government supports investments in information technology.

Intel claims over 80 pc of the microprocessor market and has over 81,000 employees at global level. Intel is the world’s biggest microprocessor producer and reported, in the third quarter, a net profit, rising by 58 pc, of USD 2.95 bln.