RIM to open new R&D facility in Germany

TORONTO (Reuters) - BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM.TO)(RIMM.O) is expanding its research and development capabilities with a new facility in Western Europe, the company said on Wednesday.

RIM will spend $45 million in the first year of operations at the new site in Bochum, Germany. It is scheduled to open this summer with 140 new employees and plans to expand to up to 500 in the future.

Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM said the work at the site will focus on both hardware and software development for the BlackBerry, the company's flagship smartphone.

Developing new applications and handsets is the key to expanding RIM's future subscriber base as it faces increasing competition from the likes of Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) iPhone.

The company thus far has managed to stave off such threats, as well as an uncertain U.S. economy, and continues to deliver profits that beat expectations.

RIM's shares were up 41 Canadian cents at C$122.77, on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Wednesday afternoon.

($1=$1.02 Canadian)

(Reporting by Wojtek Dabrowski; editing by Rob Wilson)