Apple May Build $1 Billion Research and Development Center in Vietnam

Apple may be planning to build a research and development center in Vietnam, reports Vietnamese site BizLive. Work on the R&D center, which will be located in the Vietnamese central province of Da Nang, was uncovered following a local government meeting on foreign direct investment.

Rumors earlier this year suggested Apple would invest up to $1 billion to build an Asia-focused research and development center in Vietnam, designed to "enhance its competitiveness over major global electronic manufacturers present in the country." Last October, Apple also established an Apple Vietnam LLC in Ho Chi Minh City, led by Gene Daniel Levoff, Apple's VP of corporate law who is also in charge of international operations.

Companies like Microsoft, Intel, and Samsung have had investment projects in Vietnam for several years, but the R&D center will be Apple's first major project in the country.

A final decision on whether the research center plans will move forward is expected in late August.