Representatives from the People's Government of Pingshan District and China Automotive Engineering Research Institute Co. Ltd. at the strategic cooperation agreement signing ceremony April 12. Photo from Development and Reform Bureau of Pingshan District

The People's Government of Pingshan District and China Automotive Engineering Research Institute Co. Ltd. (CAERI) signed a strategic cooperation agreement April 12, planning to establish the GBA headquarters and a national inspection and testing center for automotive chips and intelligent connected vehicles (ICVs).

The accord outlines the establishment of laboratories focusing on automotive chips, new energy vehicles (NEVs), ICVs, car parts, automotive electronics, vehicle exports, and regulatory testing. This move is geared towards catering to the GBA (Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area), with potential reverberations across Southeast Asia in research and development (R&D), inspection, testing, and standardized certification procedures. Moreover, forthcoming initiatives are slated to encompass energy storage, low-altitude economy strategies, and artificial intelligence.

Given the rapid development of ICV, the establishment of the national inspection and testing center in Pingshan assumes paramount importance, propelling R&D and innovation within the district. As automobiles evolve into progressively intelligent entities, automotive chips assume heightened significance. Notably, the national center’s services in automotive chip inspection and certification are poised to galvanize advancements within Pingshan's automotive chip industry.

Founded in 1965, CAERI is a national research institute, specializing in automotive technical services and manufacturing. With an array of national laboratories, research centers, and inspection and testing centers, CAERI is instrumental in China's automobile high-quality development.

In recent years, CAERI has fostered close ties with Shenzhen and Pingshan. In September 2022, CAERI founded its Shenzhen subsidiary in Pingshan, which later co-established a strategic research center with BIT's Shenzhen Automotive Research Institute and participated in issuing Shenzhen's ICV and NEV industry research report (2023).