Chongqing - As China's automotive industry accelerates its shift toward electrification and intelligent vehicles, global auto suppliers are expanding their role from component providers to technology partners, developing solutions in China for both domestic and global markets.
At the 20th Meeting of the Chongqing Mayor's International Economic Advisory Council (CMIA) on September 23, executives from Adient and Vibracoustic shared how their operations in Chongqing are evolving alongside the transformation of China's automotive industry.
Jerome Dorlack, President and CEO of Adient, said China's automotive industry has undergone rapid transformation over the past two decades.
Jerome Dorlack, President and CEO, Adient. (Photo/Luo Huxin)
"I've been coming to China for over 20 years now, and the pace of change has been incredible- faster than any other automotive market in the world," Dorlack said.
The global automotive seating supplier has adopted a strategy of "In China for the Globe," developing technologies in China and deploying them internationally.
A selection of automotive seating products developed by Adient. (Photo/Adient)
"We innovate products here and then deploy them around the globe,” he said, citing technologies including Adient's ProForce massage system and Queen Seat products.
Dorlack said Chinese customers' faster adoption of new technologies has accelerated innovation cycles.
"The speed at which Chinese customers are willing to adopt the technology is 12 months or 14 months compared to three or four years in other places we operate in," he said.
Chongqing has become a key part of Adient's global innovation network. The company has three global technology centers in China, with the largest located in Chongqing. It has nearly 1,100 engineers in China and has invested almost 2 billion yuan (about 298 million U.S. dollars) since 2025 to strengthen its technology capabilities in the city.
"Chongqing is our hub," Dorlack said, adding that the city's industrial ecosystem, including suppliers, universities and technology partners, supports the company's development.
For Vibracoustic, a global supplier specializing in noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) solutions, Chongqing is becoming an important base for manufacturing and innovation.
Jin Kyu Han, Executive Vice President, President APAC, Vibracoustic SE. (Photo/Luo Huxin)
Jin Kyu Han, Executive Vice President and President APAC of Vibracoustic SE, said the company has five production sites in China, including one in Chongqing, which was established in 2018.
"Chongqing, number one for our Asia region, will become one of our most integrated plants," Han said.
Vibracoustic's production facility in Chongqing, China. (Photo/Vibracoustic)
The company is developing the Chongqing facility into a vertically integrated plant, covering processes from injection molding to highly automated assembly.
Han said the approach allows Vibracoustic to respond faster to customers and support joint development with automakers.
"Everything we need to do, we need to do it faster," he said.
Vibracoustic's business in Chongqing has expanded alongside demand from local customers. Han said the company's sales in the first half of the year doubled compared with the same period last year, driven by deeper cooperation with Chinese automakers.
The company works with local manufacturers, including Seres and Changan. Han said Vibracoustic has moved from being a traditional supplier to a solution provider, working with customers before vehicles enter mass production.
As electric vehicles become quieter, NVH technology is becoming increasingly important. "As everything becomes quieter, the driver feels everything more," Han said, explaining that vibration control will play a larger role in future vehicles.
Both executives highlighted the importance of cooperation across the automotive value chain.
Han said future innovation requires companies to work together as partners rather than operating through traditional supplier relationships.
"It's not a traditional one company works with another company. You need to work together as a partner," he said.
Dorlack also emphasized collaboration among suppliers, customers, universities and industries as a key driver of future development.
As Chongqing continues to develop its intelligent connected new energy vehicle industry, global suppliers are increasingly using the city not only as a manufacturing base, but also as a place to develop and deploy new technologies.
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