Gestamp boosts R&D, arguing co-development benefits hinge on local presence

Spanish metal component specialist Gestamp is investing heavily in R&D in a bid to keep pace with rapidly developing automotive technology. In May this year it announced plans for a new R&D facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan, which will house robotic prototype assembly cells, a laser cell, a durability performance test lab and metallurgical and metrology labs. A few weeks later it officially opened a new R&D centre in Tokyo, Japan, equipped for virtual crash tests and advanced simulations of hot stamping processes.

These will join the network of 12 other R&D centres spread across Germany, France, the UK, Spain, Brazil, India, etc. Mario Eikelmann, Gestamp Corporate Sales Director, Body in White, believes the new locations will prove pivotal to supporting relationships with vehicle manufacturers around the world, as well as furthering Gestamp’s technological advances.