MANILA -Global technology firm Dyson is investing P11 billion in a new research and manufacturing center in the Philippines, as part of a larger expansion plan in Asia and Europe.
The Singapore-based company on Wednesday said its planned technology center— which will span the equivalent of 92 basketball courts—would be located in First Philippine Industrial Park in Sto. Tomas, Batangas and should start operations in 2024. It will bring together their research, development and advanced motor manufacturing capabilities under one roof.
“The new campus in Sto. Tomas, Batangas will be one of the largest investments and most advanced technology manufacturing centers in the country and underscores the growing importance of the Philippines in Dyson’s global ambitions,” the company said in a statement copied the Inquirer.
Engineers
“As part of the investment, Dyson aims to initially hire an additional 400 engineers and more than 50 graduate engineers who will join the team later this year,” it added.
The company said their research and development team in the Philippines would be focused on software, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, fluid dynamics and hardware electronics.
“These fields of expertise are critical for Dyson’s high-performing products, from robotic technologies to air enhancement technologies, and beauty products, such as the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer, which are increasingly enabled by software, sensors and connectivity,” Dyson said.
“The MyDyson app already gives consumers live data on air quality and their surroundings and through sensors, AI and connectivity, Dyson engineers can add further functionality and utility over their lifetime and provide tailored advice and support,” the company added.
Battery plant
Aside from this new technology center in the Philippines, Dyson is also set to open in Singapore its first proprietary battery plant that is expected to become fully operational by 2025 and will be producing Dyson battery cells with proprietary technology for its newly developed products.
“It is the most significant investment in advanced manufacturing in Dyson’s history,” the company said.
Also, it will put up a technology center in Bristol, United Kingdom—a £100-million facility, which the company said would become home to hundreds of software and AI engineers.
Dyson said it would also house their commercial and e-commerce teams for Great Britain and Ireland.
“Software, connectivity, AI, and proprietary new technology batteries will power the next generation of Dyson technology. Just like our long-term investments in pioneering digital electric motor technology, Dyson’s next generation battery technology will drive a major revolution in the performance and sustainability of Dyson’s machines,” Sir James Dyson, the company’s founder, said in a statement.
The company established its presence in the Philippine in 2016 when it opened a factory in Calamba, Laguna to produce its patented Dyson Hyperdymium motor used in its vacuum products.
It opened a dedicated software laboratory in Alabang in 2020, expanding its workforce in the Philippines to date to 850 people. INQ