Magna opens mechatronics center in China

The ribbon-cutting ceremony at Magna’s new mechatronics engineering center in Suzhou in the Jiangsu Province, China.

In a move to capitalize on the growing mechatronics boom, automotive parts maker Magna International Inc. has opened a new mechatronics engineering center in Suzhou in the Jiangsu Province, China.

Also called mechatronic engineering, mechatronics is a multidisciplinary branch of engineering that focuses on the engineering of both electrical and mechanical systems, and also includes a combination of robotics, electronics, computer, telecommunications, systems, control, and product engineering. Mechatronics products, such as power doors and liftgates, work through a combination of mechanical systems, electronic control units and embedded software.

The Magna Mechatronics Engineering Center will focus on designing and developing the company’s mechatronic product offerings for the China market as well as globally, including its SmartAccess power door. The center will hire more than 100 new engineers, including specialists in the development of software and hardware. These new hires will join the current staff of 110 engineers, who are moving from Magna’s previous engineering center located in Kunshan.

“Our mechatronic products fuse the capabilities of mechanical systems with the intelligence of electronics controls to enable new ways of interacting with your vehicle,” said John O’Hara, president of Magna Mechatronics, Mirrors and Lighting.

Magna is headquartered in Aurora, Ont.