Porsche Engineering has established a second facility in Beijing, China – in Chaoyang District, close to multiple other automotive companies – to provide development services in automated driving, connectivity, infotainment and assistance systems. According to the supplier, the resources complement those at the other Porsche Engineering site in the region, which houses 130 employees.
“Developments for China are ideally pursued in China itself; only there are the engineers close enough to the market and customers to develop China-specific functions,” said Peter Schäfer, CEO of Porsche Engineering and chairman of the advisory board of Porsche Engineering in China. “We have already been well positioned for this in Shanghai, and the Beijing office’s close proximity to key customers will support us in our plans to build an even stronger presence in China’s market, further strengthening our capabilities in developing intelligent and connected vehicles.
Automotive customers in the country are becoming particularly specific in their requests, and the company notes that development is typically carried out locally.
“The Chinese market has become a leading source of key technologies and industry transformation thanks to customers’ affinity for high-tech developments. As a luxury sports car manufacturer, strengthening local investment and R&D is a significant part of Porsche’s global innovation strategy,” added Michael Kirsch, president and CEO of Porsche China. “With the expansion of Porsche Engineering in Beijing, I expect fast growth of the overall R&D and engineering capabilities of the Porsche Group in China, and further contributions to our success in the global market while promoting local innovation.”
“Intelligent and connected vehicles are at the heart of Porsche Engineering’s developments in China, as these services are well-sought,” commented Uwe Pichler-Necek, CEO of Porsche Engineering in China. “The opening of Porsche Engineering’s new Beijing office is an important step toward realizing our goals of adapting to the special characteristics of the Chinese market and developing specifically for vehicles in China.”
In China, Porsche Engineering has experts in highly automated driving, chassis, high-voltage systems, connected services and infotainment. It is in the middle of recruiting and welcomes approaches from interested individuals.