NIDEC, one of the largest automotive companies in Japan and a leading electric motor manufacturer is planning an investment in an R&D center. The company will initially invest 3.5 million dollars in a new R&D center in Sofia and is expected to hire 100 engineers by the end of 2022.
This became clear after a series of business meetings held at the Ministry of Innovation and Growth between Minister Lorer and Philippe Marquet, Industrialization Director at NIDEC, representative of the Japanese concern, where the first phase of the investment project was presented. The meetings were also attended by H.E. Mr. Narahira Hiroshi, as well as by Dessislava Boneva, Deputy Minister of Innovation and Growth, and Bogdan Bogdanov, Executive Director of IBA.
The Minister of Innovation and Growth, Daniel Lorer, emphasized that Bulgaria is turning into a hub for R&D centers in the automotive industry. He remarked that the Bulgarian engineers who are expected to be hired will be tasked with developing next generation hardware and software for the Japanese company. The Minister stressed that up until now Bulgaria had primarily been chosen as an investment destination because of the country’s cheap labor. However, this generates problems since this type of industry can easily move out when wages or energy costs increase. “Now our country is changing and becoming a place for smart work with the goal of encouraging economic growth through innovative productions,” commented the Minister.
NIDEC ELESYS CORPORATION is the current leading manufacturer of electronic controls for safe and convenient transportation. The company develops and manufactures electronic control devices for steering, braking and other systems to global automakers.
