The facilities were formally opened by HRH Prince Andrew, The Duke of York, in a ceremony attended by leading members of local government and the UK's design community.

The Duke of York, who also opened LGE's European headquarters in Slough, UK last year, attended in his role as the Special Representative for International Trade and Investment.

The purpose of LGE's new Design Centre is to create European designs based on European consumers' requirements. The designers will also be called upon to adapt products that will appeal to the European market, but which have been developed elsewhere.

The opening of the Centre also reflects LGE's new business strategy, with increased investment into research and development feeding into regional design capabilities. LGE will be investing over USD4.8 million into design programs in Europe in 2008 alone. The first fully European designed product, a mobile handset, is to be unveiled soon.

LGE's European Design Centre will house a multi-national team of 22 expert designers by 2009, from across Europe. The current team already includes British, Irish, Italian, French and German designers. They will design products for LGE's entire range of consumer goods including; mobile handsets and devices, flat-screen TV's and audio systems, white-goods and other home electronics. It joins a global network of 6 Design Centers, which are part of a wider network including 29 Research and Development Centers. All together, these Centers employ 16,000 staff - almost a fifth of LGE's global workforce.

With assistance from Think London, LGE chose London and the UK as its European hub due to the business and finance environment, as well as its global position. London is a culturally diverse city that is recognized across the world for its vibrancy, style and creativity. It is home to a large community of experienced designers with knowledge and genuine enthusiasm for consumer electronics, as well as a fertile ground for finding new talent thanks to world-renowned education and training programs.

Vinod /ITvoir Network