The Hindu Business Line : Vestas opens R&D centre in Chennai, its 2nd largest

Tapping talent: Mr Finn Strom Madsen (right), President, Vestas Technology, R&D, and Mr Michael Hogedal, Vice-President and Managing Director, Vestas Technology, R&D Chennai, India, at a meeting in Chennai on Wednesday. —

Our Bureau

Chennai, Sept. 10 Vestas, a leading wind turbine manufacturer, inaugurated its research and development centre here on Wednesday, a centre that will be the second largest of its R&D centres in terms of number of engineers employed.

The Danish wind turbine manufacturer has technology centres in Denmark, the UK, Singapore and the US, with the Denmark centre being the largest.

“We are here in Chennai first and foremost because the talent pool is high. And, tapping into the best brains here is important for Vestas,” said Mr Finn Strom Madsen, President, Vestas Technology R&D, who was here to inaugurate the centre.

The Chennai centre on the IT corridor, spread over 60,000 sq ft, has started with more than 100 employees, which number will go up to 500 engineers in the next four years.

Vestas’ Indian subsidiary is headquartered in Chennai along the IT corridor, close to where the R&D centre is located.

The Chennai centre will support the global engineering research and development activities, working all over the value chain. The engineers here will work on the most attractive projects in the value chain — mechanical, aerodynamics, material research and electronics.

The centre will employ engineers from various disciplines such as mechanical, electrical, material science, electronics and civil.

Talent rules not cost

In terms of R&D cost, where would Chennai figure? “Cost is not the primary driver why we are here. Of course, the cost level here is lower than in Denmark or in Singapore, but the primary driver for Vestas is the access to talent and the best brains,” said Mr Madsen.

Globally, the company’s R&D activities were directed towards improving turbine reliability and lowering the cost of energy produced. The cost of energy could be brought down by better technologies that will make the turbines more efficient and by steps that can take costs out of a turbine by using less materials or using different materials, he said.

Related Stories:
Wind power industry upbeat on generation incentive
Vestas RRB to increase focus on export markets

More Stories on : Research & Development | Non-conventional Energy

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page