Geely is reorganizing its European engineering divisions to reduce the time it takes to bring vehicles to the global market and give Europe a central role in developing vehicles based on software and electric platforms, Automotive News reports.
The Chinese group created Geely Technology Europe by combining its research and development units in Gothenburg and Frankfurt into one unit to better combine European capabilities with Geely's Chinese research institute and support simultaneous development for multiple markets. The goal is to reduce the delay between vehicle launches in China and overseas markets to less than six months, reflecting growing competitive pressures in electric vehicles and software features. Under the previous structure, Sweden focused mainly on Volvo Cars, while the German center provided technology for Geely's broader portfolio; the new structure combines these efforts and gives Europe a greater role in product development and international program coordination.
The division will also control brands such as Zeekr and Lynk & CO, acting as a research and development center and a Regional Expansion Management Center. Geely's strategy for this division focuses on common global architectures, regional adaptation to regulatory requirements and customer needs, as well as expanding software capabilities such as driver assistance systems and interior functions based on artificial intelligence, while complying with European data protection and cybersecurity standards. The company plans to double the number of automotive projects managed from Europe by 2027.
