ZF Friedrichshafen AG is establishing a third Chinese research and development center in Guangzhou southern China. Representatives of ZF and the local authorities have signed an agreement and ZF plans to invest approximately €90 million in the new development center.

ZF already has two development centers in China, both located in Shanghai. With their respective focus on the development of active and passive safety technology as well as driveline and chassis technology, the two centers support ZF customers throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Meanwhile, the massive expansion of future technologies such as automated driving and e-mobility has created additional demand for engineering capacities, which ZF is addressing with the establishment of the research and development center in Guangzhou.

“The decision to build a third development center in China is of great importance and confirms ZF’s strategic goal of further expansion in the largest global automotive market,” says Dr. Holger Klein, member of ZF’s Board of Management and responsible for the Asia-Pacific region. “The new center will develop key technologies and system solutions for ZF that we can also use in other market regions.”

The new research and development center in Guangzhou, is planned to be operational by 2023. In addition, the center will also be home to a satellite of the Shanghai-based research and development centers in order to optimally serve customers in southern China.

The development center in Guangzhou will have core competencies in engineering and research and development and will cover aspects such as software development and related technologies for the mobility of the future. Together, the three research and development centers in China will be able to offer ZF customers comprehensive system solutions ranging from software to hardware, thus contributing to clean, safe, and affordable next-generation mobility. The settlement in Guangzhou also follows the ZF approach of localizing research and development directly in the respective markets and quickly adapting to the industry trends in electrification, automation, connectivity, and mobility services in China.