Harman Adds Product Development Center to Car Audio Operations in China

Harman began operations Wednesday at its Suzhou Global Product Development Center in Suzhou, China, the company’s largest R&D hub for car audio products worldwide. The Suzhou plant will work alongside Harman’s existing manufacturing facility on the same site, giving Harman “full value-chain capabilities” including sourcing, R&D, production, technical support, distribution and retailing, the company said. David Jin, Harman president-northeast Asia and Greater China, said in a statement: “With our development center and production facility in Suzhou and backed by Harman’s global innovation resources, we can stay closer to the China market, get feedback quickly and directly, shorten the product development cycle, better meet customer expectations and more flexibly reach out to the global market.” The Suzhou product development center will work with Chinese automakers BAIC Motor, BYD, Changan, Chery, Geely, Great Wall and SAIC-GM, Harman said.