Littelfuse to open new R&D center at Research Park
CHAMPAIGN, IL (Sept. 22, 2009)—Littelfuse, a worldwide leader in developing circuit protection products and solutions, announced today that it will be opening a new research and development center on the campus of the University of Illinois.
Ground will be broken in fall 2009 at 2110 S. Oak St. in Research Park for the new 14,500-square-foot facility. Littelfuse will be the sole occupant of the new building, which will house a high-power lab and research staff for the POWR-GARD™ Products Division. Plans are for the center to open in March 2010 and to be staffed by 22 full-time employees and 3 student interns.
“Establishment of a technical center linked to a top-tier university supports Littelfuse’s mission to maintain our leadership position in the circuit protection industry,” said Gordon Hunter, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Littelfuse.
Littelfuse products are vital components in virtually every product that uses electrical energy, including automobiles, computers, consumer electronics, handheld devices, industrial equipment, and telecom/datacom circuits. Littelfuse’s lab capabilities include overcurrent and overvoltage testing as well as material analysis and reliability testing. These capabilities accelerate new product development efforts and assure performance and regulatory compliance of customer designs.
Illinois Chancellor Richard Herman said the presence of Littelfuse “underscores the importance of the symbiotic relationship between the corporate world and academia. Research partnerships between corporations such as Littelfuse and the university are critical to groundbreaking discoveries that benefit all involved: the company, the university, and, ultimately, the consumer.”
Avijit Ghosh, vice president of technology and economic development at Illinois, said that Littelfuse’s decision to locate in Research Park “speaks to the vitality of the park and the university as a hub for technology-oriented companies and in catalyzing economic development. This is exactly the kind of growth that the park was intended to bring to this community.”
About Littelfuse
As the worldwide leader in circuit protection products and solutions with annual sales of $530.9 million in 2008, the Littelfuse portfolio is backed by industry-leading technical support, design and manufacturing expertise. Littelfuse products are vital components in virtually every product that uses electrical energy, including automobiles, computers, consumer electronics, handheld devices, industrial equipment and telecom/datacom circuits. Littelfuse offers Teccor®, Wickmann® and Pudenz® brand circuit protection products. In addition to its Chicago, Illinois, world headquarters, Littelfuse has sales, distribution, manufacturing and engineering facilities in Brazil, Canada, China, England, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and the United States.
For more information, please visit Littelfuse’s web site at www.littelfuse.com.
About the Research Park at the University of Illinois
The Research Park at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign provides an environment where technology-based businesses can work with the research faculty and students at Illinois to take advantage of opportunities for collaborative research and easy access to University labs, equipment, and services. Located on campus, the Research Park is now home to 66 companies and growing, employing over 1,200 people in high-technology careers. At any given time, over 300 Illinois student interns with leading-edge technical skills are working in these companies, gaining valuable work experience while making real contributions to internal corporate R&D and product development programs. Other publicly-traded firms in the Research Park include: ADM, Abbott Laboratories, Caterpillar, Deere & Company, QUALCOMM, Riverbed, SAIC, State Farm, and Yahoo.
Ground will be broken in fall 2009 at 2110 S. Oak St. in Research Park for the new 14,500-square-foot facility. Littelfuse will be the sole occupant of the new building, which will house a high-power lab and research staff for the POWR-GARD™ Products Division. Plans are for the center to open in March 2010 and to be staffed by 22 full-time employees and 3 student interns.
“Establishment of a technical center linked to a top-tier university supports Littelfuse’s mission to maintain our leadership position in the circuit protection industry,” said Gordon Hunter, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Littelfuse.
Littelfuse products are vital components in virtually every product that uses electrical energy, including automobiles, computers, consumer electronics, handheld devices, industrial equipment, and telecom/datacom circuits. Littelfuse’s lab capabilities include overcurrent and overvoltage testing as well as material analysis and reliability testing. These capabilities accelerate new product development efforts and assure performance and regulatory compliance of customer designs.
Illinois Chancellor Richard Herman said the presence of Littelfuse “underscores the importance of the symbiotic relationship between the corporate world and academia. Research partnerships between corporations such as Littelfuse and the university are critical to groundbreaking discoveries that benefit all involved: the company, the university, and, ultimately, the consumer.”
Avijit Ghosh, vice president of technology and economic development at Illinois, said that Littelfuse’s decision to locate in Research Park “speaks to the vitality of the park and the university as a hub for technology-oriented companies and in catalyzing economic development. This is exactly the kind of growth that the park was intended to bring to this community.”
About Littelfuse
As the worldwide leader in circuit protection products and solutions with annual sales of $530.9 million in 2008, the Littelfuse portfolio is backed by industry-leading technical support, design and manufacturing expertise. Littelfuse products are vital components in virtually every product that uses electrical energy, including automobiles, computers, consumer electronics, handheld devices, industrial equipment and telecom/datacom circuits. Littelfuse offers Teccor®, Wickmann® and Pudenz® brand circuit protection products. In addition to its Chicago, Illinois, world headquarters, Littelfuse has sales, distribution, manufacturing and engineering facilities in Brazil, Canada, China, England, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and the United States.
For more information, please visit Littelfuse’s web site at www.littelfuse.com.
About the Research Park at the University of Illinois
The Research Park at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign provides an environment where technology-based businesses can work with the research faculty and students at Illinois to take advantage of opportunities for collaborative research and easy access to University labs, equipment, and services. Located on campus, the Research Park is now home to 66 companies and growing, employing over 1,200 people in high-technology careers. At any given time, over 300 Illinois student interns with leading-edge technical skills are working in these companies, gaining valuable work experience while making real contributions to internal corporate R&D and product development programs. Other publicly-traded firms in the Research Park include: ADM, Abbott Laboratories, Caterpillar, Deere & Company, QUALCOMM, Riverbed, SAIC, State Farm, and Yahoo.
