SINGAPORE : US software company Autodesk has opened a new research and development centre in Singapore, which is one of the largest of its kind in the country.

The firm, which specialises in 2D and 3D animation, launched a new four-storey facility at the Fusionopolis R&D complex.

Autodesk declined to say how much it is investing in the new centre. The investment came at a time when the global economy is slowing.

Its CEO said the downturn offers opportunities to take stock of the company's strategy, and study ways to re-position itself.

"Every time there's a downturn, what businesses have to do is to assess where they are. We are a leader in our industry. When we see things slowing down, we want to take the opportunity to try to figure out how do we emerge stronger..., stronger than our competitors," said Autodesk's CEO, Carl Bass.

"There are things you can do, like cutting back spending, consolidate... There are other places where you continue to need to be aggressive, continue to make investments and expand so that when the economy turns around, you're best prepared to take advantage," he added

Autodesk hopes to double the size of its facility in the Fusionopolis. It is already eyeing space in a yet-to-be-constructed building. Its current facility is about 5,125 square metres, and it hopes to increase that by about 5,600 square metres.

The Singapore operations will be the company's second-largest in the region, after Shanghai.

Although Asia currently contributes just one fifth of Autodesk's total business, it represents the company's fastest-growing customer segment. - CNA /ls