Daimler rolls out key R&D centre in China

As many as 500 highly qualified engineers and designers will work at the new R&D site, Mercedes-Benz said. 

In total, about 865 million yuan (Bt4.5 billion) has been invested in the Beijing-based research and development facilities for Mercedes-Benz cars most recently – 105 million yuan alone in the new centre. 

“For the automotive industry, China has become the most important market worldwide,” said Hubertus Troska, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for China. “The country is truly in fast-forward mode – we recognise this importance and reflect it in our local R&D activities, which we are clearly pushing forward to the next level. 

“As a key element for our sustainable growth strategy in China, our new R&D centre will help us fully tap our potential here and give our Chinese customers’ voice even more weight in our global network and future product development,” he added. 

“With our new R&D centre in China, we are progressing our strategy of internationalisation of our R&D, showing full commitment and dedication to China, a key market for us,” said Thomas Weber, member of the Board of Management of Daimler responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. “Establishing a close-knit and complementary network of R&D centres across the globe will enable us to incorporate local taste, needs and trends into our products much faster, supporting our vision to become the world’s largest premium car manufacturer by the end of the decade.” 

With the new location, Daimler is taking its research and development activities in China to a new level. The company first put China on the map of its worldwide R&D network in 2006 with the localisation of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Since then, the scope of work and headcount of its local R&D teams has been continuously expanded. In 2009, Mercedes-Benz was the first German premium car manufacturer to open an Advanced Design Studio in Beijing. To better cater to the needs of Chinese customers, units for Localisation & Development, Telematics & Infotainment and, most recently, Trends &Innovation were subsequently established. 

International teams of more than 350 experts work at Mercedes-Benz’s Chinese R&D headquarters, covering six different departments. Eighty per cent of the workforce is Chinese; the remaining team includes specialists from about a dozen different countries. By the end of 2015, the automaker plans to increase the headcount to 500.