Porsche has increased its stake in German engineering firm Bertrandt to 29 percent, up from a previous 25 percent stake first acquired back in 2001. The move strengthens Porsche’s engineering capacity, at a time when the automaker is about to embark on the development of several new products due before the end of the decade.

These new products include next-generation versions of Porsche’s entire lineup and potentially some newcomers such as the rumored 718 and 960 sports cars. Autocar reports that Bertrandt has been commissioned to help develop the next-generation Panamera, which is expected to be launched in the 2017 model year and ride on the new MSB platform.  

Bertrandt, which is based near Porsche’s main R&D center in Weissach, has previously helped the automaker in multiple areas, from the development of single components to complex modules.

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