Shanghai (ZXZC)- On Oct. 26 (local time), GAC Group inaugurated in Italy the GAC R&D Center Europe and GAC Advanced Design Milan, as part of efforts to further promote the auto giant's overseas business strategy. 

Located in Via Tortona 16, Milan, Italy, the newly-launched design studio covers a total floor area of over 470 square meters. In the earlier stage after its business opening, the GAC Advanced Design Milan will focus on the early-phase interior and exterior concept design and development of mass-produced models, and the research of forward-looking subjects, with Europe's local automobile culture taken into account and its European team's extensive experience of mass-produced model development to be leveraged. Later on, it will expand its R&D works to other cutting-edge technology fields depending on its development requirements.

Photo credit: GAC Group

Stéphane Janin, who boasts over 20 years of vehicle design experience and working careers at the design centers of such carmakers as Renault, Infiniti, and Nissan, will acts as the design director at GAC Advanced Design Milan.

Aside from the Milan-based one, GAC Group has also deployed R&D centers in the U.S. and an advanced design studio in Shanghai as branches of GAC R&D Center, which is headquartered in Guangzhou city, capital of Guangdong province. GAC R&D Center has world-leading R&D facilities, including 15 types of labs involving vehicle, powertrain, new energy, Intelligent Connected Vehicle (ICV), a trial production factory with welding, painting, final assembly, and machining that produces 800 sample vehicles a year, and a special track for car tuning.