BMW opens advanced research center in Incheon

INCHEON, April 22 (Yonhap) — BMW Korea opened its new research and development center in South Korea on Monday, equipped with the latest vehicle testing equipment, as the German company seeks to increase its presence in the Korean market with full expansion. imported goods. cars. The company held a groundbreaking ceremony for the BMW Group Korea R&D Center located in Cheongna district of Incheon city, west of Seoul. This location is an upgraded version of the research and development center that opened in 2015 at BMW’s Incheon Operations Center.

In 2019, BMW Group management announced its intention to expand the facility, before signing an agreement in December 2021 with the municipality of Incheon and the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZA) for the construction of a new site. This one-story building with an area of ​​2,813 square meters contains repair and testing laboratories, certification testing rooms, a test track and a complex of electric vehicle charging stations.

It will employ approximately 50 employees who are involved in the certification and production of imported Korean BMW vehicles. The company says it wants to partner with local companies, research centers and universities to develop navigation systems, voice recognition technology, and user interface prototypes. Last year, BMW overtook Mercedes-Benz to become the biggest car seller in South Korea with 77,395 units sold out of 271,034 foreign cars that found buyers in the country in 2023.

fabien@yna.co.kr

(FIN)