HTC is looking to expand its R&D efforts on wireless research through a new office opening in North Carolina next year.

The smartphone maker said today it plans to lease a new R&D office in Durham, N.C., during the first quarter of 2011.

The site will kick off with a staff of around 45 people who'll conduct research into multiple areas of wireless technology, according to HTC, which plans to expand the facility further during the new year and beyond.

The Raleigh-Durham area in North Carolina is known for its Research Triangle Park, home to a large number of technology companies.

"HTC has been successful bringing its unique brand of people-centric innovation to consumers, and with the establishment of this new R&D office, we are taking an important step to extend our leadership position in the wireless industry," Ron Louks, HTC's chief strategy officer, said in a statement. "Durham is a perfect place to open our new R&D office because we are able to tap into this deep pool of technical talent that complements HTC's leading-edge R&D efforts going on around the world."

The new Durham office will become HTC's third dedicated R&D location in the U.S., joining sites in Seattle and another in San Francisco that houses the company's One & Co subsidiary. HTC currently employs around 250 people in the U.S. and more than 10,000 around the world.

Although it's faced a highly competitive market that includes the likes of Motorola, Samsung, LG, and Sony Ericsson, HTC has done well lately with its Android smartphone lineup, reporting a strong jump in earnings and sales for its most recent quarter. The company has also dived into the Windows Phone 7 arena with the launch of the HTC Surround for AT&T and the HTC HD7 for T-Mobile.