General Electric announced on Nov. 19 the establishment of an engineering centre in Vietnam to focus on product design, applications, and services for the oil and gas industry.

Targeted for completion in late 2013, the facility will be located in HCM City and employ up to 200 local engineers.

"Today is an important milestone in our history in Vietnam and reflects our support for the modernising of the country's infrastructure – a critical step in its path towards sustainable growth and prosperity,” said GE vice chairman and president/CEO of GE's global growth operations, John Rice.

"We have plans to expand into application engineering and production 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 in oil and gas, power and water, energy management, healthcare, and aviation.

Since 2009 it has invested more than 110 million USD in its manufacturing facility in the northern port city of Hai Phong , which employs 600 engineers and skilled workers. Wind turbine generators and other energy products manufactured in Hai Phong are exported to GE's manufacturing and service centres around the globe. Its total exports since inception stands at 271 million USD.

The company has established local partnerships to address the needs in energy infrastructure and for the region's first wind farm in the Cuu Long ( Mekong ) Delta.

"GE understands the challenges that Vietnam is now facing, but we remain confident in the country's potential 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 a range of after-sales services for medical, electrical, and energy equipment.-VNA