A distant view of a Dongfeng Motor Co office building [Photo provided to en.whkfq.gov.cn]
Dongfeng Motor Co – based in the Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone (WEDZ) – was selected as one of 11 major provincial technology enterprises for future cultivation, according to a circular recently issued by the Department of Science and Technology of Hubei Province.
These firms will be supported by the provincial government in undertaking key scientific and technological projects, conducting basic research and related applications, establishing high-standard innovation platforms, setting up intellectual demonstration bases, transferring major technologies, and carrying out international cooperation.
After five years of cultivation, the 11 enterprises are expected to generate at least 10 billion yuan ($1.57 billion) in yearly revenue, their research investment is expected to account for more than 5 percent of the total, and they are expected to have over 100 high-value invention patents.
To be selected as a provincial major technology enterprise, a firm must be registered in Hubei and boast strong innovative capabilities, huge development potential and substantial contributions to the regional economy. To be more specific, it must post over 5 billion yuan in annual sales, spend more than 3 percent of its total expenditures on R&D, with the proportion of researchers exceeding 10 percent, and have at least 100 core items with intellectual property right (IPR) protection.
Focusing on lightweight, electrification, intelligentization, and the sharing of automobiles, Dongfeng constantly is constantly raising productivity by applying cutting-edge technology. Most of its production models have achieved Level-2 automated driving, and its L4 Robotaxi and Sharing-VAN have been commercialized. The second phase of the company's auto-pilot project has also been launched.
Dongfeng plans to achieve the full electrification of its leading passenger vehicle brands and master core L5 autonomous driving technologies by 2024.
