By Anne-Francoise Pele EETimes Supply Network (06/12/2007 12:22 PM EST)

PARIS " Nokia Siemens Networks has inaugurated a R&D center in Aveiro, Portugal, that will focus on network management and technical communications, reported the ADIT, French Governmental Agency for the Diffusion of Technological Information.

Nokia Siemens Networks said the new R&D center, representing a 45 million euro investment in three years, aims to reinforce its cooperation with the University of Aveiro. Advanced research activities will indeed be conducted in the field of fiber optics telecommunications, said the company.

Nokia Siemens Networks now has five R&D centers in Portugal. While the first center, opened in 2003, is centered on optical communications, the second center works on multimedia services for fixed and mobile networks. The third and the fourth centers are focused on home entertainment solutions and telecommunications network management, respectively.

Commenting on the announcement, Joo Picoito, director of Nokia Siemens Networks South West Europe, declared: "Nokia Siemens Networks has R&D responsibilities in Portugal and plays a predominant role in boosting cooperation between the academic and the enterprise worlds. This innovation pole results from such commitment."