Shanghai (China), Nov 22 (EFE) .- The Spanish multinational Gestamp today opened a new R & D center in the Chinese city of Shanghai, with which it seeks to strengthen ties with manufacturers local and accompany them in the transformation that is taking place in this sector of the world's largest automotive power.

"Today, with the great thrust of electrification and new energy vehicles, China is growing very much in this aspect "and" we want to support Chinese brands in the development of these new vehicles for local markets ", The president of Gestamp in Asia, Kevin Stobbs, told Efe.

Thus, the main objective of this new facility is to strengthen the collaboration of Gestamp with the manufacturers of Gestamp. cars with presence in China, and develop with them better manufacturing processes, products and costs.

"We want to be much closer to customers, we want to offer them products and develop at his side, "added the company's executive specializing in the design, development and manufacture of high-engineering metal components for the automotive industry. automotive.

With this new center, which has involved an investment of 2.5 million euros, Gestamp expands its presence in Shanghai, where the company's headquarters are also located in China, a country in which between 2013 and 2016 has invested 282 million euros.

Gestamp started operating in China in 2007 and one year later the company's turnover in China was 1 million euros.

Last year it reached 719.6 million and today it has about 4,300 employees and 9 plants in the Asian giant, plus one under construction.

"When We were purely manufacturing and we were well known in the international market, but not so much in China and during the last five years we have made business grow remarkably among the local brands, "said Stobbs.

With this new R & D center, Gestamp has two locations in China dedicated to co-development activities, behind the subsidiary of mechanisms Edscha, that develops its R & D activities in Kunshan.

China is a priority for Gestamp since it is "the largest automobile market in the world" and is "where there will be the greatest growth over the next few years, "especially on the issue of new energy vehicles because of" the great government support that is going on, "Stobbs added.

Gestamp also announced today the beginning of its operations in a new die-making plant located in Kunshan, which will be the first plant in the group specializing in die-cutting in this country.

The multinational Spanish is now present in 21 countries, has 102 industrial plants and 7 under construction, 13 R & D centers and a workforce of more than 36,000 employees worldwide, according to data from end of 2016, year in which its turnover amounted to 7,549 million euros.

Its philosophy, says the company, is to develop products with an innovative design to produce lighter and safer vehicles that offer improved energy consumption and reduced environmental impact.