General Motors has opened a new European Design Centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany, in an effort to enhance its production development.

Design is already one of the most crucial elements of our business and will continue to be in the future,” said Carl-Peter Forster, president of GM Europe. Therefore, our new facility provides our designers with the location, atmosphere and tools they need to maximize the creative process and design our future vehicles.”

Nearly 350 people work in the growing design function in Rüsselsheim, creating new products from Saab, Opel, Vauxhall and certain Saturns.

However, on the same day as the company announced the new design centre, it also proposed cutting nearly 1,000 jobs this year at its plant in Cheshire, UK as part of a strategy to cut production of the Opel/Vauxhall Astra.