LS Industrial opens R&D center in Beijing

LS Industrial Systems Co., a leading Korean manufacturer of electric components, said Thursday it has opened a research and development center in Beijing as part of efforts to expand its market presence in China.

LS Industrial, a unit of LS Group, will research and develop electricity systems such as gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) and high-voltage direct current (HVDC) at the new facility to meet increasing demand for them in the country, it said.

GIS is heavy electrical equipment used to control energy flows in electricity grids. HVDC is an electric power transmission system that uses a direct current for the bulk transmission of electrical power.

"As electricity consumption is growing rapidly in China, demand for GIS equipment and HVDC technology are also rising," said a company official.

The company set up a R&D center in Shanghai last year after completing an industrial complex in Wuxi, a city close to Shanghai, in 2005, aiming to turn China into its global production base.

LS Industrial is planning to post $1.17 billion in sales in China in 2015. The company generated $91.5 million in sales in the country last year, it said.