(Yicai) Aug. 31 -- Germany’s Mann+Hummel and other foreign auto parts makers are drastically shortening their product development cycles to meet the exacting requirements of Chinese carmakers, which are releasing new models at an ever quicker pace in China’s cut-throat market.

Mann+Hummel recently completed the research and development of a project for a Chinese client in nine months instead of the usual two to three years for non-Chinese automakers, Chief Executive Officer Kurk Wilks told Yicai in an interview.

Chinese carmakers are very demanding when it comes to their parts suppliers’ product development cycle, Wilks said. China is the world’s biggest car market and it has a huge influence on the global auto industry, he added. 

The Ludwigsburg-based firm, which specializes in air filtration systems, is learning a lot from Chinese companies and is using that experience to also reduce R&D periods for clients in other countries, Wilks said.

The R&D cycle of suppliers for Chinese automakers has been shortened to nine months from between one year and 18 months, the senior manager of a leading auto parts manufacturer said. The product development cycle for most carmakers is around two years, and for Japanese firms it is even longer, taking about five years from concept to market.

Volkswagen set up a subsidiary in Hefei, the capital of China’s eastern Anhui province, at the end of May. One of the unit’s aims is to cut the R&D cycle of new products and technologies by around 30 percent.

The entire auto supply chain is also undergoing a profound electrification and intelligentization upgrade and Mann+Hummel is adapting to this trend by hiking investment in China, Wilks said. 

The company, which was formed in 1941, set up its Global New Energy Vehicle Technology Center in China in June. It will focus on developing technologies in in-car environmental safety, batteries, supercharging, and intelligent connected vehicles.

Mann+Hummel recently bought a majority stake in Suzhou U-Air Environmental Technology for CNY317 million (USD43.5 million) to expand its life science business in China and Southeast Asia.

Editor: Kim Taylor