German carmaker Daimler has opened a new Mercedes-Benz advanced design center in Beijing, China which marks the firm's fifth such facility worldwide.
The new 1,000 sq m design center will serve as a seismograph, recording and analyzing stylistic trends to incorporate into the creative process, adding to the four other global design studios based in Germany, Italy, Japan and the US.
Daimler Northeast Asia chairman and CEO Ulrich Walker said the opening of the Mercedes-Benz advanced design center in Beijing, underlines the firm's commitment to China, by recognizing the increasing importance of this market and the influence it is having on design trends and mobility solutions worldwide - as such, this studio will play an essential part of our clearly defined strategy to ensure sustainable business growth.
"With China predicted to be our largest market globally by 2015, through annual sales of 300,000 vehicles, design influences from this region will become more important in the cars of tomorrow," Walker said.
Mercedes-Benz head of advanced design global Steffen Kohl said the company sees design as a trademark - design has been shaping its image since its beginnings, defining its core values of fascination, responsibility and perfection.
"It is not a matter of chasing fads but working on long-living, outstanding, sensual and sporty design," Kohl said.
The design team will draw on inspiration from their surroundings in China, taking into account cultural, and environmental influences, such as road congestion and shortage of parking.
The center has 10 staff members from different countries - including France, China, Malaysia, Japan and the Philippines - providing a multicultural environment.
