1. Ford and Geely to Establish Valencia Joint Venture for European Production
The partners will share Ford's Valencia plant to manufacture Ford and Geely vehicles, with operations scheduled to begin in the first half of 2027.
·Ford Motor and Geely Automobile Holdings reached an agreement on July 23 to establish a joint venture in Valencia, Spain, subject to regulatory approval.
·The venture will use shared manufacturing capacity to produce multiple types of powertrain vehicles for the European market, supporting Ford's product expansion and Geely's localization strategy in Europe.
·Operations are scheduled to begin in the first half of 2027, with the first fire new model expected to roll off the production line in 2028.
·Ford's Valencia plant has an annual production capacity of approximately 500,000 vehicles and will become a shared advanced manufacturing hub for the two companies.
·The venture will continue producing the Ford Kuga. It also plans to begin production in 2028 of:
oA new rugged compact SUV joining the Ford Bronco family.
oA new Ford-branded crossover designed by Ford and jointly developed with Geely.
oGeely's first of two planned new energy vehicle models.
·The cooperation is expected to improve capacity utilization and product-development efficiency, lower development costs and create additional jobs for Spain's automotive industry.
2. Horizon Robotics and Volkswagen Group Deepen AI Collaboration
Their CARIZON joint venture will develop a unified AI-powered driving solution for Volkswagen Group in China.
·Horizon Robotics and Volkswagen Group will expand their collaboration on AI foundation models through CARIZON, the joint venture between Horizon Robotics and Volkswagen Group software company CARIAD.
·Under a white-box licensing model, CARIZON will use Horizon Robotics' AI foundation-model technology to independently develop and accelerate a unified AI driving solution for Volkswagen Group China.
·The AI model will work closely with CARIZON's C7H system-on-chip and GAIA world-model data platform.
·The integrated technology stack is intended to support Volkswagen Group's Level 3 and Level 4 automated-driving capabilities, including future applications in passenger vehicles and robotaxis.
·It will also enable continued upgrades to mass-produced advanced driver-assistance solutions covering a broad range of driving scenarios.
·The system will be deeply integrated with Volkswagen Group's China Electronic Architecture, or CEA, its first locally developed zonal electronic and electrical architecture.
·The technologies can be adapted to multiple vehicle platforms and models for deployment across Volkswagen Group's product portfolio in China and selected international markets.
3. Rosenberger Completes $100 Million Smart Factory in Changzhou
The Industry 4.0 facility is scheduled to begin production in the fourth quarter of 2026.
·Rosenberger held the handover ceremony for its new smart factory in China's Changzhou on July 22, 2026.
·The facility represents an investment of more than $100 million and was completed approximately one year after construction began on June 5, 2025.
·Production is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2026.
·Built to Industry 4.0 standards, the factory integrates intelligent warehousing, fully automated production lines and digital management systems.
·It will be Rosenberger's largest production and R&D base in the Asia-Pacific region and the group's largest single-site facility.
·Planned annual capacity includes:
o170 million connectors.
o60 million cable assemblies.
·The facility includes an 18.5-meter-high fully automated warehouse and a comprehensive laboratory for product testing, validation and localized development.
·Its R&D and production activities will focus primarily on automotive connectors and cable assemblies, as well as fiber-optic products for AI data centers.
·The project supports Rosenberger's strategy of strengthening its presence in China while serving global markets.
