December 15, 2011, Updated September 11, 2012

Apple will open a development center in Israel focusing on semiconductors, according to a report in Globes. The development center would be the company’s first to be opened outside of Apple’s California headquarters.

According to the report, Apple has hired Aharon Aharon, currently Chairman of the Board of Camero — the company he founded and which develops Radio Frequency (RF) based imaging systems.

Should Apple open a center in Israel, it would join the likes of Google, IBM, Oracle, Motorola, Microsoft and Intel, that all have R&D centers here already.

The latest reports come on in the wake of news that Apple is in advanced talks to acquire Israel’s flash storage solutions provider, Anobit

Apple’s corporate vice president of research and development, Ed Frank, is currently visiting Israel, according to Globes. And the Calcalist business newspaper reported that Frank is meeting with several Israeli high-tech companies.

Aharon is to spend several months at Apple headquarters in Cupertino before returning to Israel to begin activities at the Apple Israel development center, reports say.

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