Apple will open a new research and development center in Ra’anana, Israel. The new research division will open in the second half of 2013, according to Israeli business publication Globes .
Rumors began circulating in December that the company would open the Ra’anana R&D center only if the company could hire enough suitable engineers to staff the location.
Apple last year began to hire former Texas Instruments employees to fill open positions; however, Intel also began to seek out the same workers, causing a battle between the two company’s in the region. Intel for its part offered “healthy compensation packages” to lure employees.
Texas Instruments last year fired nearly 250 workers from its Ra’anana development center. Intel is believed to have hired more than 100 of those workers with Apple also picking up at least 100 to 150 former TI workers.
Apple already runs two research & development centers in Israel. The tech giants other officers are located in Haifa and Hertezliya. Apple opened its Herzliya facility after taking over flash memory developer Anobit approximately one year ago.
Many of the already hired staffers worked for Texas Instruments on short-range communication technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC. Apple is expected to work on projects not necessarily associated with the workers former positions.
Further details to follow as Apple releases more information about its new facility.