Nexteer Automotive Breaks Ground on APAC Smart Manufacturing Project in Suzhou

Transition to Owned Facility Strengthens Nexteer's Operational Foundation in Suzhou

SUZHOU, China, Nov. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Nexteer Automotive today broke ground on its APAC Smart Manufacturing Project in Suzhou Industrial Park, an initiative designed to advance the company's smart manufacturing capabilities and long-term operational agility. Following the signing of the memorandum of understanding in September, this next phase marks steady progress toward a more integrated and efficient production footprint. The project demonstrates Nexteer's ongoing commitment to innovation, quality and sustainable development within China and across the Asia Pacific region in support of Chinese and global OEM customers. 

The project spans a total of 10 hectares with a planned developed area of approximately 70,000 square meters. It will strictly adhere to "Intelligent + Green" principles and be developed into a green factory designed to meet international LEED Platinum certification standards. 

During construction, Nexteer will apply advanced digital tools, including Building Information Modeling (BIM) and panoramic monitoring, to ensure transparent and efficient project management. Once operational, the Suzhou location will feature a smart campus powered by digital twin technology, enabling real-time coordination between physical and digital systems. The new facility will integrate full-process automation, AI-driven insights and flexible production lines to deliver next-generation manufacturing excellence.

Upon completion, the facility will significantly enhance production, organizational efficiency, lean manufacturing, and rapid market response while also consolidating Nexteer's currently leased operations into this advanced, self-owned facility. This move will optimize production systems for high-demand products such as Electric Power Steering and Steer-by-Wire systems, ensuring agility and responsiveness to customer needs.

"Since Nexteer signed the MoU just two months ago, we've advanced our smart manufacturing project with strong momentum leading to today's groundbreaking," Jun Li, Nexteer's Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer and APAC President, said. "By focusing on automation, intelligence and flexibility, we're transforming our Suzhou operations into a benchmark for 'New Quality Productive Forces'. Through smart innovation, we will maintain top-tier quality while elevating efficiency and sustainability as critical enablers to our customers' success."

The Asia-Pacific Smart Manufacturing Headquarters is targeting completion in late 2026. Once completed, the project will consolidate and optimize Nexteer's Suzhou production into a single advanced location enhancing efficiency, flexibility and customer responsiveness.

The project will further support Nexteer's existing strong growth momentum and contribute substantially to the automotive industry upgrade in Suzhou and the broader Yangtze River Delta region.

ABOUT NEXTEER AUTOMOTIVE

Nexteer Automotive (HK 1316) is a global leading motion control technology company accelerating mobility to be safe, green and exciting. Our innovative portfolio supports by-wire chassis control, including electric and hydraulic power steering systems, steer-by-wire and rear-wheel steering systems, steering columns and intermediate shafts, driveline systems, software solutions and brake-by-wire. The company solves motion control challenges across all megatrends – including electrification, software/connectivity, ADAS/automated driving and shared mobility – for global and domestic OEMs around the world including BMW, Ford, GM, RNM, Stellantis, Toyota and VW, as well as automakers in India and China including BYD, Xiaomi, ChangAn, Li Auto, Chery, Great Wall, Geely, Xpeng and others. www.nexteer.com

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source: Nexteer Automotive