The center, which is GE’s first in the Latin American region, will serve as a hub for engagement and collaboration with its customers.
Located on the Ilha do Bom Jesus peninsula in Rio de Janeiro, the centre is expected to employ 400 researchers in the future.
The new centre is approximately 250,000ft2, of which 50% of the space is devoted to laboratory.
GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt said: "Our new research center in Brazil will allow GE to innovate locally for our customers in Latin America and then export those innovations to the world.
"Over the past decade, we have doubled down on our R&D investment and expanded our global network of Research Centers to address customer’s growing needs for breakthrough technology that we develop with them. We see significant growth opportunities in Latin America and having the best technology and solutions will ensure we maintain GE’s competitive edge."
Presently, the offshore oil and gas processing occurs on platforms on the surface of the sea, often located miles from a wellhead.
Moreover, these wellheads are at the bottom of the ocean.
However, by placing power and processing equipment next to the wellhead on the sea floor, the job of extracting the oil and pumping it to the surface becomes easier, safer.
Besides it ensures an economical flow of oil or gas from a reservoir to the point of sale. It is also environmentally sound and more cost efficient for the extraction company.
GE will work with its partners for the development of such a technology. GE has been in Brazil since 1919 and employs more than 8,800 people in the country.
The GE Brazil Technology Center is one of nine research centers globally and one of five outside the US.
