Centerprise International, which is based in Basingstoke, Hampshire, will operate from a 17-acre site in Caerphilly and expects to start recruiting in the summer.

The company received a Regional Selective Assistance grant from the Welsh Assembly Government as part of the development.

The first phase will see the company invest �5m to acquire and fit out the Duffryn Meadows site which includes a 50,000 sq ft factory unit.

A further �6.5m will be invested in a subsequent phase of the project.

A significant proportion of the jobs will be in research and development, the company has said.

Capacity

Centerprise specialises in manufacturing custom-built computers for local authorities and educational establishments, as well as for health, defence and corporate sector clients.

It is making the move into Wales in order to add to its production and warehousing capacity to handle larger volume orders.

Custom built: Hi-tech circuitry

The 20-year-old company has won a number of awards for enterprise, including KPMG Company of the Year, and an Ernst and Young entrepreneur award for the company founder Rafi Razzak.

It has an annual turnover in excess of �100m.

Economic development minister Andrew Davies has welcomed the news.

He said: "I am delighted that we have been able to assist Centerprise with their investment in Wales.

"These new jobs show that the emphasis we have been putting on attracting quality jobs to all parts of Wales is paying off.

"I look forward to the new workers taking up their posts later in the year."

We were very pleased to find such a committed work ethos from everyone that we dealt with Rafi Razzak

Mr Razzak said the company had searched the UK and continental Europe before deciding on the Caerphilly site.

""As part of our research we visited local community areas to get a feel of the work attitude and the overall environment.

"We were very pleased to find such a committed work ethos from everyone that we dealt with.