MOBILE phone company Nokia has increased its stake in Hampshire with the opening of two new buildings for its global product creation centre at Farnborough.

It represents an investment in excess of £70 million on the town's Southwood business park, and provides jobs for 1,200 skilled staff.

The Farnborough complex will handle leading-edge research and development in mobile phones and house a regional centre for network security and customer support for its telecommunications business.

Nokia has had a base for its global research and development centre for mobile phones at Farnborough just over two years, and is now looking at the development of technology and future products for the next generation of phones. Activities at the complex include a mobile phone testing facility, a global product design centre, university liaison, global environmental work and security operations.

Nokia president Matti Alahuhta who attended the opening ceremony for the new buildings this week, with Aldershot MP Gerald Howarth, said: "Representing some of the most technologically-advanced and future-orientated work at Nokia, the skilled workforce and facilities at Southwood are not only a major asset to the company, but an important development in the local community, and will continue to play a key role in bringing benefits to people worldwide.''