Chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has teamed up with technology enterprise Founder Group to launch a product development centre in Beijing.
The new Platform Development Lab is intended to develop technology that can be applied beyond the traditional sphere of personal computing.
The firms said they would focus on home digital media centres but also work on technology designed around 'human-centric interaction and innovation'.
The joint lab will offer support to companies hoping to bring products to market faster, while boosting Founder's engineering capabilities and providing a fresh market for products from AMD's Personal Connectivity Solutions Group.
The group produces the Alchemy and Geode processors, low-powered chips designed for devices such as mobile phones and internet appliances.
AMD chief executive Hector Ruiz has often complained that the technology industry has lost sight of consumer needs, and has spoken of the need for 'human-centric innovation'.