Germany's Dekra Group will bring two new testing centers online in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, and Chongqing in the second half of this year, expanding services for automotive components, consumer electronics and other industries, a senior executive said.

After ramping up its testing infrastructure in recent years, including a major 2024 upgrade of its facility in Shanghai's Jiading district that made it its largest in Asia, the Stuttgart, Germany-headquartered testing, inspection and certification company — with more than 49,500 employees globally — is pressing ahead with further investment.

The two new centers are designed to enhance technical capabilities and improve service efficiency across major industrial clusters in China.

"China remains one of the world's most dynamic markets and a global front-runner in areas such as future mobility, digital technologies and sustainable development," said Kilian Aviles, Dekra's executive vice-president and head of the Asia-Pacific region.

"These trends are driving strong demand for high-quality testing and certification services," he said.

Aviles said the group will deepen cooperation with Chinese partners by further localizing services, advancing joint innovation and strengthening collaboration with industry players, regulators and research institutions.

Supported by 2,000 employees, Dekra operates testing facilities, laboratories and offices in nearly 20 cities on the Chinese mainland, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

"By combining our global expertise with China's strong industrial ecosystem, we aim to support high-quality development and create long-term value," he added.

This approach is also in line with broader national priorities under China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), which emphasizes green and low-carbon growth, industrial upgrading and the development of emerging industries and the services sector.

China has become a key growth engine for Dekra's Asia-Pacific operations, accounting for more than half of its regional revenue, Aviles said, adding that further opening of the services sector is creating a more favorable environment for multinational companies.

"We see the country not only as a major market, but also as a global innovation hub," he said, citing its scale, rapid technology adoption and sophisticated industrial ecosystem as key differentiators.

These shifts are driving demand across both domestic and international markets. In the mobility sector, Dekra is broadening services covering the full life cycle of new energy vehicles and their components, including battery testing and safety assessments. It has also introduced quick battery health testing solutions for electric vehicles to meet growing market demand.

In digital technologies, the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence and connected systems is driving demand for services such as cybersecurity, functional safety and AI assessment, as the German company seeks to contribute as an independent safety partner and help enhance product reliability.

With China emerging as a major exporter of new energy vehicles and advanced industrial products, demand for global certification services is rising. Dekra is also supporting Chinese companies expanding overseas by helping them navigate complex regulations and streamline certification across markets.

Aviles pointed to the growing role of domestic consumption and rising expectations for product safety, security and sustainability as key drivers of demand for certification services in China.

As regulatory standards increasingly converge with international norms, he said the company expects sustained growth across both domestic and export-oriented segments.

Similar views were expressed by Nie Pingxiang, a researcher specializing in trade in services at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing.

"China's broader opening-up in services is helping move the economy up the value chain by bringing in global standards, professional expertise and competitive pressure that support industrial upgrading and innovation," she said.

zhongnan@chinadaily.com.cn