An American electronics company is set to unveil a hi-tech research and development centre in Swansea.

Agilent Technologies move to the �2m Technium Innovation Centre is being hailed as a major coup by the Welsh Development Agency and National Assembly.

The agency believes the centre - which will employ 37 people - is significant because of the quality of the technology jobs involved.

The research at the centre will involve the next generation of cutting edge opto-electronics.

The US company - which will be named later on Thursday - was attracted to south Wales over other competing locations by the research expertise already at the Swansea Institute of Higher Education and Swansea University.

Opto-electronics are found in everything from visual displays in household electronics like video recorders to fibre optics and complicated defence equipment.

Assembly cash support

The National Assembly has provided financial support for the new development, confirmed assembly business manager Andrew Davies.

"The assembly is committed to a long term strategy of developing a self-sustaining knowledge-based economy of high skills and high wages," said Mr Davies.

"This is essential if we are to achieve our goal of raising Wales's levels of wealth.

"The development of high technology businesses will play a vital role as we strive for a diverse, self-sustaining economy.

"Agilent's decision to invest in Wales is a huge coup."