Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. said Friday it will set up a digital networking multimedia software development base in Cyberjaya, a suburb of Kuala Lumpur, on Oct. 1.
The base will primarily be used to develop communication software.
The consumer electronics maker, known for its Panasonic brand products, said the wholly owned subsidiary, Panasonic R&D Center Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., will be capitalized at 1 million Malaysian ringgit (around 30 million yen).
The unit will aim to strengthen the development and design capabilities of multimedia-related products in Malaysia and to recruit local personnel.
The base will consist of two centers: the Communications Development Center, which will develop software related to wired communications and the Internet, and the Multimedia Technology Promotion Center, which will promote collaborative projects with the Multimedia University in Malaysia.
After training local employees for six months, the center will start operating in April, Matsushita said. The center will initially have 10 employees, including two Japanese, with this figure expected to increase to 50 after four years, it said.