THE world-leading Centre for Integrated Photonics (CIP) at Adastral Park near Ipswich has been acquired by the Chinese technology group Huawei, it was announced today.

Huawei, which has had a presence at BT’s Martlesham Heath research site since September 2010, has purchased the centre from the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), the former regional development agency.

EEDA, which was abolished by the present Government alongside its creation of a new network of Local Enterprise Partnerships, took over CIP in 2003 when its former owner, the United States-based company Corning, withdrew from the UK.

Huawei is a major provider of “next generation” telecommunications equipment and solutions for BT’s programmes to improve broadband speeds across the UK.

It is understood that Huawei will retain the CIP research and development team, which will become the core of a new Huawei UK R&D centre, and continue to invest in fibre optic research at Adastral Park.

The deal was welcomed today by Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey, who said it added further strength to the reputation of Adastral Park.

“I would like congratulate Huawei for making this investment into research and development in Suffolk Coastal, which demonstrates the quality of the East of England of providing a base for hi-tech business,” she added.

The CIP was acquired by Corning in 2000. Its history dates from BT’s formation of a fibre optics development group at Martlesham Heath in the 1970s.