BMW to vastly increase R&D staff in China over next few years

Gasgoo.com (Shanghai November 13) - BMW will greatly expand its research and development capacity in China over the next two to three years, Xinhua reported today, citing a statement made by BMW China's Senior Vice President of R&D Wei Rui. According to Mr. Wei, the manufacturer plans to add around 300 Chinese R&D staff.

BMW currently has three research and development centers in China, located in Beijing, Shanghai and Liaoning' capital of Shenyang. The manufacturer currently employs a total of 500 workers at the three sites. Mr. Wei emphasized the importance of the Chinese market, stating that it was BMW's largest R&D center outside of its native Germany. Aside from its facilities in Munich and in China, BMW's other R&D centers worldwide are focused mainly on localization and customer service, with teams of around only 40 to 50 workers.

According to Mr. Wei, the Chinese R&D centers are especially focused in electric vehicle development. "You can see a lot of accomplishments [made] by us in this field," Mr. Wei boasted, adding that the advancements made in China will be used for its products worldwide. He is confident that plans to increase its R&D operations in the country will be of great help to the manufacturer's performance globally.