Huawei Technologies plans to set up a next-generation research base in Tokyo to deepen its collaboration with Japanese companies on IoT (Internet of Things) and 5G wireless technologies in Tokyo, reported Nikkei on November 26. The new facility will be Huawei's fourth so-called "X Labs" in the world, and the second abroad, after one in Germany. Unlike Huawei's existing R&D centers around the world, the X Labs will serve as a platform to bring together technology providers, carriers and companies from all industry verticals to jointly explore the use cases for mobile communications in different scenarios. The R&D base will open next year, aiming to strengthen partnership with SoftBank and NTT DOCOMO for 5G research, Sony for VR (Virtual Reality) technologies, as well as Toshiba and Yaskawa Electric for industrial technologies. The Tokyo R&D center will begin with 20 to 30 researchers, scaling up as development progresses, said the report.