Nokia expanded its global research laboratories of with the opening of Nokia Research Center, Berkeley on Thursday, advancing closer to its mobile devices research.

According to research by Forrester, 24 percent of European users are now accessing the Internet regularly from their mobile devices. The increasing user-base is a huge potential market for benefits. Nokia Research Center (NRC), now with six labs in eleven locations worldwide, is set up to collaborate with universities and other institutes to conduct leading-edge research on mobile devices.

Working closely with UC Berkeley's research units, NRC Berkeley will explore innovations in many areas including research to lower device power consumption, increase device performance, and innovate mobile platforms.

The results of these research areas can greatly improve consumers' mobile device experience particularly in emerging economies where electricity is limited and access to the Internet is primarily or solely via the mobile device. noted John Shen, Laboratory Director, Nokia Research Center, Palo Alto (and Berkeley).

Other locations of NRC includes Bangalore, Beijing, Cambridge UK, Cambridge USA, Helsinki, Helsinki, Lausanne, Nairobi, Palo Alto, Tampere.

For more information, visit NRC website at http://research.nokia.com.