During a press conference with Mexico President Felipe Calderon, Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini announced the company would invest 2,300 million pesos (US$177 million) over 3 years to expand Intel's Guadalajara Design Center (GDC).

The investment will focus on increasing technology development activities, staffing and technology and education initiatives that support Calderon's National Digital Plan, Intel said.

The Intel GDC focuses on the design, testing and validation of integrated circuits and other hardware, and education software technologies used in Intel products sold globally. The expansion will include the construction of a new building for technical labs, office space, a technology museum for children and an IT lab to support small- and medium-sized businesses. In addition, approximately 150 additional technical jobs will be created over the next 3 years, bringing the total number of GDC engineers to 550.

The GDC is Intel's largest site in Mexico and where all its technology development activities in Mexico are based. Since it was established 10 years ago, it has grown from 33 employees to over 400 jobs. In addition to technology development activities, the GDC also has several initiatives in place at local universities aimed at fostering the region's technical talent pool. Nearly 100 undergraduate students have participated in these programs in the past 18 months.

Additionally, to make possible the GDC's mission -- to "help to transform prototypes into products" and continue tackling current and future technologies -- the new site will increase its product validation activities. Validation is a critical part of Intel's product development cycle. Since its foundation, the GDC has contributed to the development of more than 40 processor and chipset products distributed around the world. The center aims to increase its technical contributions in the upcoming years.