The China it is an increasingly important market for car manufacturers, especially now that electrification has arrived. Over the past few months, several European manufacturers have announced a number of projects targeting this market. Therefore, it is not surprising that Mercedes has now communicated the intention of wanting to open a new R&D center in Shanghai. Specifically, we will work on technologies such as connectivity and autonomous driving. In addition, the new center will also focus on big data.
The German car manufacturer has not disclosed the amount of the investment nor on how many employees this new research and development center will be able to count. The brand speaks generically of the goal of wanting to attract “hundreds of young talents“A very interesting project, therefore, which will certainly be important for the growth of Mercedes on the Chinese market.
However, this is not the first research and development center that Mercedes decides to open in China. Indeed, the brand had opened in 2014 a similar structure in Beijing where, today, about 1,000 employees work. A structure that in size and importance is second only to that present in Germany. Today, the Beijing site is mainly working on the development of electric powertrains.
The new Shanghai research and development center will therefore also be able to exploit the skills of the Beijing one in order to carry out its future projects. All that remains is to wait for some further news from Mercedes to understand in more detail the role of the new Chinese structure. It is clear, however, that the German car manufacturer wants to significantly strengthen its presence in that country.
