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| EDAG JAPAN Co., Ltd. |
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German automotive design giant EDAG opened its first Japanese branch in Fukuoka in May 2005. (The branch became a corporation in February 2006.) The
firm has opened centers in fifteen countries and 36 regions
throughout the world, and designs automobile bodies and
components for industry leaders including BMW, Audi and
Honda, along with developing manufacturing lines and providing
engineering services.
EDAG describes why the firm decided to locate its Japanese operations in Fukuoka, rather than Tokyo or Nagoya. “First, we were captivated by Fukuoka’s
excellent access to various cities. The nuclei of Japan’s
automotive leaders are dispersed, with Honda in Tochigi,
Nissan in Tokyo, Toyota in Nagoya and Mazda in Hiroshima.
EDAG established an office in Fukuoka City, but with Fukuoka
Airport reachable in five minutes by subway and bullet
trains at Hakata Station a three-minute walk away, clients
can be efficiently accessed through various transport
means. EDAG also has four other bases in the Asia region
to which access is also excellent. Additionally, Fukuoka
Prefecture’s Frankfurt Office provided us with precisely
the information we required leading up to our establishment
here, and that contributed significantly to our decision
to set up operations in Fukuoka.” Moreover, the northern Kyushu area centered around Fukuoka is home to the plants of Nissan, Toyota and Daihatsu, with the number of automobiles produced in the area exceeding one million in 2006. Thus, EDAG has great expectations for its market and future growth. The EDAG spokesman also commented, “we encourage automobile manufacturers to establish design centers in Kyushu,” suggesting the further development of the automotive industry in Kyushu together with EDAG, which boasts sophisticated design technologies using CATIA (a high-end 3D CAD used primarily in the automotive industry).
The globalization of the world’s automobile manufacturers
today is remarkable. Japanese automobile manufacturers
have intensified their global operations, including opening
facilities in China. Overseas automobile manufacturers
are also taking steps to expand operations in Japan. EDAG
is convinced that it will be able to provide direct support
to Japanese automobile manufacturers from its base in
Fukuoka while taking optimal advantage of its worldwide
network. |
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