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BMW or Bayerische Motoren Werke AG recently opened its Research and Development (R&D) facility in South Korea. The German luxury carmaker built this hub to speed up vehicle launches and boost its electrification technology.
BMW added that its new R&D in the country is also meant to strengthen the brand’s customization and capability for vehicle homologation. Moreover, it selected Incheon’s Cheongna International City as the location for its research and development center because the country is currently BMW’s fifth-largest market.
The Expansive R&D Facility
BMW Korea revealed the opening of its newest research hub on Monday, April 22. The company built the facility on a massive 5,296 square meters of land, per The Korea Times.
The place is a single-story building but features different research facilities. The BMW R&D Center has exclusive sections for electric vehicle (EV) charger testing and homologation and several research laboratories for vehicular technologies.
Investment and Jobs at the R&D
The Korean unit of BMW reportedly invested KRW12 billion, or $8.69 million, in the construction of the research and development hub. The facility generated new jobs for the locals, and about 50 research staff members are expected to stay at the facility to support BMW’s homologation and product development of EVs and other vehicles that will be imported to other countries.
“The BMW Group R&D Center in Korea will play a pivotal role in enhancing the products and services offered to our Korean customers, developing future technologies and supporting the collaboration between the automaker and its Korean partners,” BMW Group’s senior vice president of R&D, Daniel Boettger, told the media during the inauguration ceremony.
Meanwhile, The Korea Herald reported that BMW’s main goal for setting up an R&D center is to be in charge of its homologation processes within three to four years. The company hopes to launch new vehicles and products in the Korean market through the facility.
Photo by: Roman Khripkov/Unsplash
