Daimler Greater China has opened its new Mercedes-Benz Research & Development Center in Beijing, the company announced Monday.

“With our new R&D Center in China, we are progressing our strategy of the internationalization of our R&D, showing our full commitment and dedication to China, a key market for us,” said Dr. Thomas Weber, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.

Around 500 engineers and designers will be working at the new facility. To date, about RMB 865 million  (EUR 112 million) has been invested in Beijing-based research and development facilities for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, with about RMB 105 million (EUR 13.5 million) invested in the new site alone, according to the company.

The company first put China on the map of its worldwide Research & Development network in 2006, with the localization of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Today, international teams of more than 350 experts work for Mercedes-Benz R&D China, covering six different departments. Currently, around 80 percent of the workforce is Chinese; the remaining team includes specialists from about a dozen different countries.