Chinese telecom equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. said it plans to invest US$1.8 billion (€1.5 billion) in France to develop smartphones over the next three years.

The announcement comes after Huawei recently opened a new research and development center at the Sophia Antipolis technology park in France, which focuses on chipset design and embedded electronics.

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"We are very proud of this R&D site, which represents perfectly what France can provide in terms of skills on the global IT market," said Song Kai, CEO of Huawei France.

Ren Zhengfei, president of Huawei, presented the plan to the French Prime Minister Manuel Valls in Paris and said the company will focus on its smartphone development business.

The Chinese company aims to increase its European-based suppliers and establish deeper relationships within the region while taking advantage of the country's engineering talent.

The company is already working with French-Italian manufacturing company STMicro Electronics that provides components for its smartphones.

"Our investments will have a significant impact on our global innovation, while boosting France's competitiveness in new technologies and creating jobs for French talent," said Zhengfei.

Francois Quentin, president of Huawei France, said the company plans to hire designers in Paris to work on its new smartphones so they become recognizable at first sight.

The company currently ranks number three in the world in smartphones and plans to build upon this ranking via its European presence.

TagsHuawei, R&D France, Huawei France, STmicro electronics