Hexagon Capability Centre India (HCCI), an incubation centre, a research and development (R&D) unit of Hexagon AB, a Swedish technology major opened its new facility in Hyderabad on Thursday. The center is about 2,00,000-sft having the capacity of 1,200 associates. Following to further to expand the headcount by 20 percent over the next two years.

Announcing this, the IT firm said the HCCI will relocate operations at its four offices in the city to the new facility in Hi-Tec city. The facility houses Hexagon’s Product R&D and services teams working on integrated technologies in the areas of aerospace, agriculture, automotive infrastructure, construction, mining, power, safety, surveying and security.

“HCCI currently operates out of four leased facilities in Hyderabad. We are in the process of consolidating them into the new centre pretty soon,” Navneet Mishra, vice-president and country manager, HCCI told. It is one of the three major R&D facilities of Hexagon, Switzerland and the U.S. has one each. Apart from those engaged in the R&D operation in the city, the company has a sales network of about 250 people spread across the country.

The Hyderabad centre came into the Hexagon AB fold as part of its acquisition of US-based engineering and software company Intergraph Corporation for $2.13 billion in July 2010. President of Hexagon (Safety & Infrastructure) Steven Cost said Hyderabad is an integral part of Hexagon AB’s global R&D and delivery network. On future expansion of HCCI operations and infrastructure, he said: “As business dictates, we will grow it.”

The Stockholm Stock Exchange-listed company, with revenues of Euro 3 billion, has made 80 acquisitions in the past decade. It spends 11 percent of its annual revenues on R&D. “Hexagon has the appetite, capabilities and desire to go in for more acquisitions,” said Steven Cost, president (safety and infrastructure), Hexagon. Hexagon, whose software serves as the core of the Dial 100 program of emergency response services, sees a lot of opportunities emerging from India’ ambitious smart city program.