The center, located about 30 kilometers from Shanghai, will focus on the French auto suppliers' exterior parts business. It currently has 300 engineers and technicians, and expects to have 450 on staff by 2016, the company said in a Dec. 9 announcement.
In 2013, Plastic Omnium launched 35 new exterior parts programs for 18 different customers in China. It expects to launch 50 new programs by 2015.
Plastic Omnium has five wholly-owned plants in China — two for its Inergy fuel systems business and three for composites — and also has 13 as part of its YFPO joint venture with Yanfeng SAIC.