VAN BUREN TWP., Mich., Sept. 17 MI-Ricardo-R&D-Sharda
VAN BUREN TWP., Mich., Sept. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Ricardo, a leading
independent provider of technology, product innovation and engineering
solutions to the world's automotive, military, transport and new energy
industries, will help Indian Tier 1 supplier Sharda Motor Industries define
and implement an independent, self-sustaining and state-of-the-art product
development capability. Sharda supplies exhaust systems, catalytic
converters, fuel tanks, independent suspensions, seat frames and other
components to Indian automakers and the regional operations of international
manufacturers.
Ricardo's strategic consulting and Indian divisions will lead the project,
with an emphasis on product strategy and development processes, infrastructure
requirements, development tools and facilities, and skills and core competence
requirements for the Sharda's staff. The Ricardo team will carry out a
rigorous analysis of the markets in which the company operates and the drivers
likely to affect those markets in the coming years. These will include
projections of the technology road maps of Sharda's customer base and
estimations of the emerging engineering requirements for future product
portfolios. Ricardo then will develop detailed organizational development and
implementation plans with the goal of delivering future product development
capability within a clearly defined time period and against measurable
outcomes.
Sharda and Ricardo will collaborate to implement a strategy that will
include comprehensive technology transfer as well as engineering and testing
support from Ricardo until Sharda fully implements its own research and
development capabilities. To support Sharda's ongoing product engineering
requirements, Ricardo will provide advanced computer aided engineering
services. This will ensure that Sharda has access to the technology required
to meet its immediate program needs, as well as having long-term plans in
place to support its future strategic product development aspirations.
"The support being provided to Sharda Motor Industries is an excellent
demonstration of the breadth and quality of services that Ricardo can offer,
as well as the effectiveness of our strategy of providing a global reach to
our business operations," said Ricardo CEO Dave Shemmans. "Sharda is a
leading automotive supplier to the Indian market and can benefit both from the
expertise of our strategic consulting team in charting the future direction of
its business, as well as that of our engineering teams in providing the
expertise required for its immediate product engineering programs. I look
forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership with Sharda Motor
Industries as this project progresses."
About Ricardo
Ricardo, the Eco-Innovation Technology Company, is a leading independent
provider of technology, product innovation, engineering solutions and
strategic consulting to the world's automotive, military, transport and new
energy industries. The company's skill base represents the state-of-the-art
in low emissions and fuel-efficient powertrain technology, and can be best
summarized: "Ricardo is Fuel Economy."
With technical centers and offices throughout Europe, the U.S. and Asia,
Ricardo provides engineering expertise ranging from vehicle systems
integration, controls & electronics, hardware and software development, to the
latest driveline and transmission systems and gasoline, diesel, hybrid and
fuel cell powertrain technologies. Its customers include the world's major
automakers and suppliers as well as manufacturers in the military, commercial,
off-highway and clean energy sectors. The company also serves in advisory
roles to governmental and independent agencies. Ricardo's U.S. operation,
Ricardo, Inc., is headquartered in Van Buren Township, Michigan. Ricardo plc
posted sales of $344 million in financial year 2007 and is a constituent of
the FTSE TechMark 100 index -- a group of innovative technology companies
listed on the London Stock Exchange. For more information, visit
www.ricardo.com .
Ricardo offers TVFE(TM), its Total Vehicle Fuel Economy engineering
service, to transportation manufacturers worldwide to provide objective
evaluation of all available technologies to identify the most cost-effective
strategies to optimize fuel economy and CO2 goals. For more information on
TVFE, please visit www.totalvehiclefueleconomy.com .
SOURCE Ricardo, Inc.
