GE to Expand Global Research and Development Capabilities

GE Global Research, the technology development arm of the General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), today announced the opening of its newest research space, a 350,000 sq. ft. building at its technology campus in Bangalore, India. The new environmentally designed building, which is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certified, will house nearly 2,000 researchers.

Since 2001, GE has made capital investments totaling $330 million to expand its global research facilities, including large investments in its headquarters in upstate New York, the addition of a new center in Munich, Germany and further expansion of its research operations in Shanghai.

Currently, GE Global Research employs more than 2,800 employees around the world, including 1,900 employees at its center in Niskayuna, New York. Everyday, GE researchers tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges, with more than 2,500 patents filed in 2008 alone.

Speaking at the opening of the new facility in Bangalore, Mark Little, Senior Vice President and Director of GE Global Research said, “The engineers and researchers here are part of a network of 30,000 technologists across GE who work to ‘redefine what’s possible.’ They work on healthcare initiatives that save lives. They are working to bring safe drinking water to those who need it. They help develop reliable, clean power for millions of people around the world. They work today to help the future.”

This growth in India complements the strong growth at the company’s Global Research center in the United States during the past eight years. Since 2001, employment at the Niskayuna, NY facility has grown 15 percent.

Over the past seven years, GE’s annual research and development expenditures have nearly doubled from $2.3 billion to $4.3 billion. The funding has been directed toward new technologies that are the cornerstone of GE’s future growth plans, including power generation, renewable energy, biosciences and healthcare.

As part of GE’s ecomagination initiative, the company is doubling its level of investment in clean technologies from $700 million in 2005 to more than $1.5 billion by 2010. Scientists and engineers at each of GE’s 4 technology centers are playing a significant role in this campaign, supporting research endeavors in wind and solar power, gas turbine technologies, locomotives, aircraft engines and oil and gas production.

Added Little, “Our mission today is the same as it was when Thomas Edison founded GE. We drive breakthrough technology that the world needs, and that will help our company grow. This latest expansion is just another sign of our commitment to technology and innovation.”

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) is a diversified infrastructure, finance and media company taking on the world’s toughest challenges. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, medical imaging, and television programming, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.ge.com.