MONTREAL, Oct. 14, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - ABB will establish a world-class center in Technoparc Montréal. This major investment of $70 million over 10 years will contribute to the development of ABB's advanced technology solutions. The new ABB Saint-Laurent Campus will consolidate the company's complete energy value chain under one roof.

The new 300, 000 square feet facility will house the corporate headquarters, as well as research and development, manufacturing, assembly and testing for ABB's energy value chain in Quebec. Also, the 700 employees presently spread across six locations in Greater Montreal will be united under one roof by March 2017.

"This project, which is part of our 2020 global strategy, aims to promote greater collaboration, and increase efficiency and organizational synergy between teams. The investment will allow us to continue improving our operational effectiveness and contribute to the development of cutting-edge technology in collaboration with our business partners, and with the academic and research sectors with whom we have long collaborated. It also underscores our ongoing commitment to the city of Montreal and to the local market," stated Nathalie Pilon, President and Chief Executive Officer of ABB Canada.

This new ABB campus will include, among other things, spaces for technological demonstrations and for training clients on solutions and systems developed by ABB. It will be equipped with ultra-modern equipment and boast advanced technologies and manufacturing processes.

Construction of the campus, entrusted to Broccolini, officially began early September. According to the schedule of this large-scale project, spaces dedicated to manufacturing will be completed in December 2016, while office spaces will be completed in February 2017. This project will generate positive impact for many companies in Quebec, including NKF Devencore, Dupras Ledoux, (consulting engineering firm), ARCHITECTURE49 (architects) and Lemay (interior design).

"The new campus is being built in harmony with ABB's vision for sustainable development, following principles of ecological construction and showcasing ABB products. Our teams and those at ABB aim to obtain LEED Silver certification, a global certification attesting to a reduction of ecological footprint," stated Roger Plamondon, Senior Vice President, Real Estate Development and Acquisitions, Broccolini.

ABB employees in Greater Montreal will enjoy an avant-garde work environment featuring a great variety of services, including indoor parking, charge stations for electric cars, a gym, bicycle racks, an ultramodern cafeteria and better access to public transportation. "We want to create an inspiring workplace for our employees and take advantage of natural light and open spaces in order to foster innovation. We are delighted by this project, which will reinforce ABB's leadership and encourage the advancement of Quebec's expertise in engineering in the field of energy and the automation technologies," concluded Nathalie Pilon.

About ABB

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in energy and automation technologies, allowing public services as well as industry, transport and infrastructure clients to improve their performance while reducing their impact on the environment. The ABB Group of companies operates in roughly 100 countries and employs about 140,000 people.

SOURCE ABB inc.