Massive expansion of Ricardo China

Ricardo has announced that a highly substantial, two-phase development of its Shanghai-based operations is to take place in the remainder of 2008, underscoring the company’s commitment to the fast expanding Chinese automotive market. The first phase – completed today with the move to a new technical centre – includes a tripling of the existing working area, with space for a staff of approximately 100 employees

This significant milestone in the development of Ricardo’s Shanghai-based operations will enable the new technical centre focus on the provision of high added-value services and projects for both Chinese and overseas clients, with approximately 90 per cent of the team fulfilling technical and engineering roles. The new Ricardo Shanghai technical centre is based in a central location, close to the futuristic and highly prestigious Hi-Tech Park development at Caohejing – a convenient location for many of Ricardo’s customers and advanced technology component and system suppliers. The second phase of development – expected to be completed towards the end of the year – envisages the establishment of a satellite test-based operation within the expanding Anting ‘Auto City’ area to the west of Shanghai, where significant automotive operations including the technical headquarters of Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) and the SAIC-VW assembly plant are located.

“With the two phases of expansion taking place in 2008, Ricardo China is being transformed into a significant regional product engineering and development presence, capable of taking on the toughest product development challenges and delivering high quality services for its Chinese customers”, said Lee Sykes, executive VP of Ricardo China. “These developments take Ricardo beyond the level of an overseas engineering provider, giving the company crucial critical mass as a local supplier of engineering services in the Chinese market, with the back-up of the global resources of Ricardo. As such we will be far better placed to achieve our objectives for locally based engineering recruitment and further development of our Chinese business.” Ricardo CEO, Dave Shemmans, added: “The emerging automotive markets of China, Russia and India are major targets for the future growth of Ricardo as a whole, and our further investment in Ricardo China underscores our commitment to providing an excellent standard of service, responsiveness, quality and technology, irrespective of the location of our international customers.”