KUALA LUMPUR: National carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd officially opened its research and development (R&D) centre in China over the weekend.
This was done to strengthen the company's collaborative efforts with its existing partner Zhejiang Geely Holding Ltd (Geely) in a move to complement its existing facilities in Malaysia.
Located within the Geely Automobile Research Institute (GRI) at Hangzhou Bay, the opening of the centre also coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia.
The company said it will continue to invest and expand R&D facilities locally in Shah Alam and Tanjung Malim, Perak while developing an experienced human capital pool.
To maximise the respective strengths of each partner and to adapt to the strategic development needs of the group, the new centre will draw from the combined expertise and experience of engineers from both Malaysia and China.
Aspiring to mirror the success story of China Euro Vehicle Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, this latest development moves Proton's R&D facilities in Malaysia closer to becoming the sixth in the Geely Group's global network of R&D centres.
The centre will also help to enhance cross-border collaboration, facilitate knowledge transfer between Proton and Geely as well as drive innovation for products tailored to meet the needs of Proton's customers.
"We have witnessed the birth of a facility that allows us to work closer than ever with our partners and will inspire connections for years to come while helping to expand Proton's global presence," remarked Proton chief executive officer Dr. Li Chunrong in the latest facility.
"It is our hope this important milestone would enable us to move towards our goal of Proton becoming the sixth
Geely Group R&D centre, while bolstering Proton's existing capabilities that are already well established in Malaysia.
"We remain steadfast in our commitment to pushing boundaries, challenging the status quo, and making endless possibilities for the future of mobility," he added.
Eventually, with a workforce of about 50 employees, it will become a framework for Proton and Geely's international talent training and output.
The new centre is envisaged as a window for joint development between Proton and Geely where new concepts across all areas are brought to fruition, from top-hat and platform integration for ICE and future EV models to intelligent driving, and project management.
This includes the upgrading of Proton's homegrown models where the centre will leverage on its joint resources with Geely assisting the work being led by Proton R&D engineers in Malaysia.
Proton will also be able to enhance its competitiveness by leveraging on Geely's global footprint.
The centre will also function as a critical liaison platform for Proton to engage with capable vendors for the
continuous development of the Automotive Hi-Tech Valley in Tanjung Malim including focusing on full business life cycle areas such as quality, procurement and manufacturing.
Three core departments under Central Research Institute to oversee daily operations.
The new centre has three departments to ensure smooth operations namely the Central Research Institute, Data Intelligence Development Centre and R&D Digitisation Centre.
These departments will coordinate closely with their Geely counterparts to leverage local resources in China and are responsible for the development results of their respective teams.
The Central Research Institute is responsible for coordinating the R&D system for vehicles and to strengthen
Proton's technology capabilities.
The Data Intelligence Development includes the research development and
delivery of big data and artificial intelligence before formulating product deployment plans, while the R&D Digitisation Centre explores and manages the digitisation needs of the R&D system and formulating of strategies for digital transformation.
The centre has also established an external cooperation research institute, which will be tasked with the delivery of whole vehicle functions and the development of ecosystem integration for external projects.
The launch was attended by Proton chairman Tan Sri Syed Faisal Albar, Geely Auto Group CEO Jerry Gan, Zhejiang Geely Automotive Research Institute president Li Chuanhai, Hangzhou Bay New District Administrative Committee deputy director Cai Shijie, Proton CEO Dr Li Chunrong, and Proton deputy CEO Roslan Abdullah.