Exclusive: Zeekr and Lynk & Co Gothenburg design teams facing potential cuts

Geely’s Zeekr and Lynk & Co design studios will be restructured as part of what the company describes as an “ongoing efficiency programme” which will see the Shanghai studio taking on greater operational responsibilities. According to Zeekr Group, the brands will consolidate functions between Shanghai and the brands’ Gothenburg design studio, which could lead - subject to union discussions – to a realignment and a potential reduction in workforce.

The Zeekr and Lynk & Co brands moved into the state-of-the-art Gothenburg studio with much fanfare in July 2022. The design leadership – Stefan Sielaff for Zeekr and Stefan Rosen for Lynk & Co – followed the move by managing the separation of the two design teams, which in total numbered around 550 staff. Prior to the move the teams had worked far more closely across the portfolio.

The Zeekr brand was initially a spin-off from Lynk & Co, with the latter exploring a carshare business model before dialling back that strategy with the departure of CEO Alain Visser in December 2023.

Recent key launches for both brands came in the form of Lynk & Co’s 02 and the Zeekr Mix.

But while the teams at the respective brands had worked hard to establish individual identities and, in the case of Zeekr, produced award-winning design work, these successes have not so far not paid off in terms of sales in Europe.

In March 2024, Javier Garcia-Gallardo, then head of advanced design and research in Gothenburg, was tapped to head up Zeekr’s new Shanghai studio. It was a step-up for the Spanish designer at the time, but Garcia-Gallardo may find he now has far greater responsibilities, at least in the short term.