General Electric officially opened its new European Global Research Center in Garching, near Munich, Germany, at the end of June. The 10,000-sq-m facility complements others in New York, Bangalore, and Shanghai. Initial investment is $52 million. By 2005, the new center, located on the campus of the Technical University of Munich, will house 150 scientists and engineers (including some plastics experts), most of whom GE is taking from European universities. It will focus on four main research areas: alternative energy generation technologies; electrical systems for renewable energy sources; specialized sensors for automotive, biological, and harsh environment applications; and advanced medical imaging technologies.