Acer on July 18 unveiled Acer Intellectual (Chongqing), its R&D center in western China for developing smart handheld devices including smartphones and tablet PCs as well as software applications and services through cooperation with telecom carrier China Mobile and Chongqing City Government.

A ceremony was held where Acer signed with China Mobile's subsidiary Chongqing Mobile and the city government's Chongqing Economic and IT Commission for the cooperation, Acer said.

Acer said it will initially will invest US$4 million in the center, led by Acer corporate president Jim Wong, The center will also focus on study of smart mobile device user behavior in the China market, Acer added.

Acer's task force has collaborated with Chongqing Mobile and local IT companies to successfully develop software applications based on Android TD smartphones, with the applications already being used by city government employees to offer civic services. In addition, the R&D center will cooperate with the city government to develop smart handheld mobile terminals for the government's operation.

Acer in December 2010 decided to establish a notebook production base plus a second China operational headquarters in Chongqing, with the production base coming into operation in May 2011. The R&D center is intended to pave the way for the production base to make smart handheld devices.