$GM To Open a Research Plant in China, Oodles of Engineers About

“SHANGHAI (Reuters) – General Motors Co unveiled its latest global research center in China on Thursday, where it hopes to take advantage of the country’s vast supply of engineering graduates to drive its development of a new generation of electric vehicles.

China’s auto market has grown rapidly – it has been the world’s largest since 2009 – and one of the new centre’s primary roles is to ensure the requirements and preferences of consumers in China are integrated into GM’s global product development.

But the new facilities in Shanghai – the GM China Advanced Technical Center – will look after not just China’s auto market. It plans to develop an array of technologies and know-how for the global marketplace, alongside similar engineering centers in the United States, Germany and South Korea.

“This center plays a critical role in GM’s global R&D, engineering and design network,” said Jon Lauckner, the U.S. car maker’s global technology chief.

The decision to site a major upstream research facility in Shanghai was based in part on the relative abundance of engineering talent in China, which already produces more science and engineering graduates than any country, said John Du, a director of the new center.”

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