On the afternoon of June 8, 2010, the new regional headquarters building and R&D center established by ZF in Shanghai was officially opened. There are currently 250 ZF employees working in this complex and will increase to nearly 500 in the future. ZF, an automotive parts supplier, has invested about 20 million euros in this. At present, the center has developed about 10,000 square meters in the first phase, including 6,000 square meters of office buildings and 4000 square meters of research and development centers. It is expected that the next two phases of development will be based on the development of 20,000 square meters.
Hans-Georg Haerter, Chief Executive Officer of ZF Group, and Sun Jianping, Head of Shanghai Songjiang District, jointly initiated the "ZF China"
Hans-Georg Haerter, CEO of ZF Group
Hans-Georg Haerter, CEO of ZF Group, said when opening the new building: "China's vibrant, growing market has prompted us not only to set up regional headquarters in the entire Asia-Pacific region in Shanghai, but also to establish a research and development center. For the concept of “Design for Markets,†Mr. Haerter explained: “In this way, we can accurately meet the needs of Chinese automakers with products specifically developed for the Chinese market at the center of the booming automotive industry. â€
According to Hans-georg Haerter, the overall demand for ZF products in the Chinese market is in good condition: “For example, 800 new vehicles equipped with ZF transmissions now carry large numbers of visitors to the Shanghai World Expo. At the World Expo, In the park, buses equipped with the ZF axle system were also put into use to transport visitors.†In addition, ZF and Foton have jointly developed light truck transmissions for the Omar light truck brand. Has achieved some results.
ZF not only considers old customers who have increased their production capacity in China in recent years, but also takes care of new, mainly Asian car manufacturers. Mr. Haerter said: “By developing products for China in China, we not only gain the necessary flexibility in terms of cost, but also in response speed. We can put customized products into mass production at the fastest speed.
Dr. Ye Guohong, President of ZF (China) Investment Co., Ltd.
“The secret of success lies in the localization, which is based on the continuous development of suppliers.†said Dr. Ye Guohong, President of ZF (China) Investment Co., Ltd. “Parts of the transmissions sold in China are mostly Locally produced, the localization rate of our Ecosplit commercial vehicle manual transmission has reached about 90%.†ZF products are not only parts and components, and even product development is increasingly made in China. This localization of engineering technology is also referred to as "engineering localization." The new R&D center in Shanghai will further promote this process.
Background information
In the field of transmission and chassis technology, ZF is a leading global auto parts supply group with 123 production companies in 27 countries. In 2009, approximately 60,000 employees of the group generated sales of approximately 9.4 billion euros. ZF ranks among the top 10 auto parts suppliers in the world.
ZF's new Shanghai center complex includes a holding company, ZF (China) Investment Co., Ltd. It is located in a four-story office building of approximately 6,000 square meters, with modern large bays and separate offices, meeting rooms and other rooms. There are 250 employees (including external staff) working in the holding company.
The R&D center has an area of ​​about 4,000 square meters and has modern equipment for development and design work, as well as material testing. There are currently 100 employees working here and will increase to 300 by 2013. The entire complex can also be further expanded to nearly 20,000 square meters. ZF, including equipment, has invested a total of about 20 million euros.
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