Chongqing - At the 19th Meeting of the Chongqing Mayor's International Economic Advisory Council (CMIA) on September 26, Adient President and CEO Jerome Dorlack said in an interview that Chongqing’s appeal lies in its ability to combine global vision with local practice. He noted that Adient has already put many of its global practices into effect in the city.

Adient, a global leader in automotive seating with over 200 plants in 29 countries, works with major automakers including Ford and Volvo. Chongqing is central to its strategy, highlighted by the expansion of its local technology center and the company’s strong commitment to the market.

Adient has been active in Chongqing since 2003, when it established a joint venture. In 2021, the company completed a stock split with its partner and took full ownership of Adient Chongqing, gaining greater decision-making autonomy. In February 2025, it expanded its technology center in Liangjiang New Area, marking a new stage in its growth in the city.

The company operates three technology centers in China, but Chongqing’s center is the largest and the most research-intensive. Dorlack said the company chose to expand here as part of a major investment to build Chongqing into a world-class technology center in China.

Furthermore, Chongqing’s automotive industry, along with China’s vast market and consumer base, provides an ideal platform for Adient’s product development. Dorlack pointed out that the speed at which Chinese consumers adopt new technologies is world-class, making China the perfect location for Adient to pilot and develop new innovations. For example, if customers are going to adopt technologies such as mechanical massage systems or zero-gravity seating, it is likely to happen first in China.

Adient introduces new automotive seating products in Chongqing before supplying them to global markets. Dorlack mentioned that this year, Adient introduced its zero-gravity seat, the Z Guard Seat, launching it first in Chongqing. This innovation offers life-saving protection when occupants are in the zero-gravity seating position.

He stressed that the current priority for Chongqing is to build a collaborative ecosystem for enterprises, as no single company can solve all the problems on its own. Chongqing needs an ecosystem where companies can work together to achieve common goals. For instance, in the seating sector, Adient collaborates with companies like Siemens and HP to integrate the entire ecosystem to address challenges effectively.

On September 26, Jerome Dorlack, Adient President and Chief Executive Officer, introduced Adient's investment strategy in Chongqing. (Photo/Huxin Luo)

Regarding the application of AI, Dorlack emphasized that Adient is bringing its global practices from the U.S. and Asia to Chongqing, establishing a two-way AI ecosystem that not only benefits global markets but also drives the development of Chongqing.

On the production side, Dorlack highlighted the role of AI in the development and manufacturing of seating products. He pointed out that AI technology has nearly eliminated the need for early-stage verification, significantly accelerating product development. In particular, AI has been applied to the sewing process, automating the stitching of upholstery materials and reducing manual intervention by 20%-30%.