SwRI forms joint-venture in China

14 April 2005

The Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) have agreed to form a joint-venture company to provide research, development and testing services for automotive products, components and systems in China. The joint venture, called Tianjin SwARC Automotive Research Laboratory Co., Ltd., will be located in Tianjin City, China.

The company will provide independent evaluation of automotive products, powertrain components and automotive system designs, will develop test protocols for evaluating exhaust aftertreatment devices and systems, and will organize and conduct consortium research and development experiments and tests for the Chinese government and transportation and energy industries.

SwARC will draw on SwRI’s expertise in automotive emissions research. It will utilize laboratories, equipment and buildings owned by CATARC. SwRI will own 55% of the new company and will nominate four of seven directors for its board.

CATARC, based in Tianjin, is a state-owned technical and administrative entity of the Chinese automotive industry. It provides standardization and technical regulation, product certification and testing research, quality system certification, information and databases for the auto industry, engineering management and design, enterprise management science research, and automotive high-technology development and applications.

SwRI, based in San Antonio, TX, is an independent, nonprofit applied engineering and physical sciences research and development organization with 2,900 employees. Its 11 technical divisions include the Engine, Emissions and Vehicle Research Division, and the Fuels and Lubricants Research Division.

Source: SwRI