Littelfuse, a worldwide leader in developing circuit protection products and solutions, announced today that it will be opening a new research and development center on the campus of the University of Illinois.

Fox/Atkins Development, LLC, developer of the Research Park, has broken ground at 2110 South Oak Street for the new 13,500sf facility. Littelfuse will be the sole occupant of the new building, which will house a high-power lab and research staff for the POWR-GARD(TM) Products Division. Plans are for the center to open in March 2010 and to be staffed by 22 full-time employees and 3 student interns.

"Establishment of a technical center linked to a top-tier university supports Littelfuse's mission to maintain our leadership position in the circuit protection industry," said Gordon Hunter, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Littelfuse.

Littelfuse products are vital components in virtually every product that uses electrical energy, including automobiles, computers, consumer electronics, handheld devices, industrial equipment, and telecom/datacom circuits. Littelfuse's lab capabilities include overcurrent and overvoltage testing as well as material analysis and reliability testing. These capabilities accelerate new product development efforts and assure performance and regulatory compliance of customer designs.

Illinois Chancellor Richard Herman said the presence of Littelfuse "underscores the importance of the symbiotic relationship between the corporate world and academia. Research partnerships between corporations such as Littelfuse and the university are critical to groundbreaking discoveries that benefit all involved: the company, the university, and, ultimately, the consumer."

About Littelfuse

As the worldwide leader in circuit protection products and solutions with annual sales of 530.9 million in 2008, the Littelfuse portfolio is backed by industry-leading technical support, design and manufacturing expertise. Littelfuse products are vital components in virtually every product that uses electrical energy, including automobiles, computers, consumer electronics, handheld devices, industrial equipment and telecom/datacom circuits. Littelfuse offers Teccor(R), Wickmann(R) and Pudenz(R) brand circuit protection products. In addition to its Chicago, Illinois, world headquarters, Littelfuse has sales, distribution, manufacturing and engineering facilities in Brazil, Canada, China, England, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and the United States.

About the Research Park at the University of Illinois

The Research Park at the University of Illinois is now home to 66 private sector companies including 8 Fortune 500 companies. The Research Park is attracting companies that are seeking to engage with the University in an open innovation model, collaborating with faculty, and employing students year-round to supplement their RD operations. The Research Park has continued to attract new operations despite tough economic conditions due to the increasing interest in University partnerships in research. New operations in 2009 include: Abbott Laboratories, Pearson Education, Waterborne Environmental, Wolfram Alpha, Beijing Global Safety Technology Company, and several technology startup companies.