In a move that surprised many among the industry, national car maker Proton Holdings Berhad recently announced that they are partnering Honda Motor Co Ltd where they will embark in the cooperation of many areas of business.
Proton is owned by DRB-Hicom Berhad and in this collaboration, it announced that there will be endless opportunities for both the industry giants.
Among that which will be involved are sharing of facilities as well as technology and products among them and that a FSP (Foreign Strategic Partner) with the Japanese automotive leader will also allow Proton to grow as an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer). The agreement was signed recently and it would be a long-term strategic collaboration which will be influencing the new product line-up for the Proton.
Analysts were quick to give their opinions over the tie-up and it seems that Proton is still free to enter into collaborations with other OEMs. Among the potential areas that many are expecting include the Hybrid Technology which Honda has been involved for a while now and that could be an area that Proton could explore in the near future. It was also surprising that Honda entered the deal as it was not known for such tie-ups in the past.
