Romax Technology plays leading role in Changan’s first UK R&D Centre

28 June 2010

Romax Technology has announced that it will take on a leading role in the development of a new R&D Centre for powertrain technology in the UK. The centre, which is holding its opening ceremony today (Monday June 28), has been set up by Changan Automobile Group and is situated on the same Science and Technology Park as Romax’s headquarters in Nottingham, UK.

Changan has nine production bases and 21 whole vehicle factories in China. With a turnover of around £6billion in 2009, Changan has ambitions to break into the world’s top ten automotive manufacturers in the coming years. The R&D Centre in Nottingham represents a vital part of this plan. Romax is working with Changan to help the process of setting up their first ever UK R&D Centre.

“After thorough research and consideration, we felt the UK’s advantages in automotive R&D along with its range of industrial capabilities fit well into Changan’s strategy. Also the UK’s openness to work with Changan strongly positioned the UK as the host location for our R& D Centre,” explained Dr Yu Chenglong, Project Leader of the Changan UK R&D Centre. “The East Midlands, in particular, with its central location, availability of strong automotive R&D companies and research institutions within and around this region, and its long-established links with Chongqing, makes it the ideal choice for Changan.”

“Changan UK will be working closely with a number of UK automotive companies including Romax Technology and others. We chose to work with Romax because they are well known for their high quality service, their innovation and for their wide connection to the industry, as well as their convenient and direct help to accelerate the opening progress for Changan UK R&D Centre. This will be vital as we look to become the world’s leading automotive OEM.”

Planning for Changan’s transmission development programme is already well underway; Romax and Changan are now actively discussing a number of joint transmission engineering projects to be carried out both here in the UK centre and in China.