Huawei Technologies has completed construction of its 10-billion-yuan (US$1.4 billion) research and development (R&D) centre in Shanghai, where company founder and chief executive Ren Zhengfei expected foreign scientists to be attracted by perks such as the more than 100 cafes on campus. Located in Jinze, a town in Shanghai’s Qingpu district, Huawei gave its new campus the name Lianqiu Lake R&D Centre by last Tuesday, according to an announcement on the municipal government’s website that cited official media Jiefang Daily.
The campus comprises eight blocks and 104 buildings – making up a complex of laboratories, offices and leisure areas – connected via an internal railway system. While some bridge construction and greening projects are still being finalised, the development of signage, district roads and train service for the Lianqiu Lake campus have already been completed, the Jiefang Daily reported last Thursday. Around 30,000 R&D personnel are expected to move into Huawei’s new Shanghai campus to work on semiconductors, wireless networks and the Internet of Things, Qingpu district head Yang Xiaojing said at a government press conference in January. Covering an area of 160 hectares, Huawei’s Lianqiu Lake campus will serve as its global R&D hub and start operations this year, according to previous announcements by the local government. “[We aim to] create an atmosphere suitable for foreign scientists to work and live in,” Ren told employees in an internal meeting in 2021, which was later made public by Huawei. He had envisioned perks like the more than 100 cafes on campus to attract young talent from overseas.
