COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Toymaker Lego said on Wednesday it had opened a new factory in Vietnam, as it aims for long-term growth in the Asia-Pacific region and to produce closer to its consumers.

Lego has invested $1 billion in the project, part of its decade-old strategy of placing production close to key markets which previously has helped rein in costs and shield it from external factors and supply chain disruptions.

The Danish family-owned company, which sells billions of plastic bricks annually, now has six factories worldwide located in Denmark, Hungary, Czech Republic, Mexico, China and Vietnam.