Continental has announced a further expansion in driver assistance systems and automated driving. In addition, the company are strengthening their development locations in Germany. For example, the technology company is starting to expand its site in Memmingen and plan a new, central location in Neu-Ulm.
The ground-breaking ceremony for a new development campus with space for up to 150 employees in Memmingen took place on March 30th. Completion and occupation of the new building is planned for mid-2023. Employees from three locations in Ulm and Neu-Ulm will be brought together to bundle competencies in Neu-Ulm. Construction is scheduled to begin in December 2022 and will be completed in 2024. The new location offers space for around 700 employees. Continental plans to invest almost 75 million euros in the two locations over the next three years.
"Both locations are an important part of our growth strategy and will continue to advance research and development in the field of assisted and automated driving. Embedded in our global development and production network, we offer our customers tailor-made solutions and systems to make the mobility of the future even safer, more environmentally friendly and more comfortable,"
says Frank Petznick, Head of the Autonomous Mobility Business Area at Continental.
Development Campus Memmingen with Connected Test Track
Continental has been active in Memmingen since 2016. With the construction of a new, approximately 6,000 square meter development campus, the company is merging previously separate locations for research and development and workshop areas. Around 25 million euros are to be invested in new office and workshop space when construction begins. The new building, which allows up to 150 employees, will be occupied in mid-2023. In addition, the development campus is directly connected to a 30-hectare test site of the company FAKT-motion. Continental will use the test track as part of a long-term partnership to develop solutions for driver assistance systems and automated driving functions in Europe. The focus of the activities on-site is the testing and validation of components and system and driving functions for assisted and automated driving.
"For us, the direct connection to the test track of the new location provides significant added value for increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of our development activities for assisted and automated driving,"
says Marc Haussmann, Location Manager Memmingen.
Since 2013, around 600 employees in Ulm and Neu-Ulm have been researching and developing driver assistance systems and automated driving at three locations. The plan is to start construction of the new building in December 2022 and thus combine research and development of future technologies in this growth area in one place. The planned investment volume amounts to around 50 million euros. After completion in 2024, the new building will offer a total of around 700 workplaces on 15,500 square meters.
Florian Schwab, Location Manager Ulm/Neu-Ulm, is pleased: "Bringing all employees of the three currently separated locations together at a central location with state-of-the-art equipment in Neu-Ulm is an important step for even better cooperation and motivates everyone tremendously."
The construction and expansion of development sites are part of the growth strategy of the Autonomous Mobility Business Area. Continental operates its own development centers and production sites in the big regions of Europe, America, and Asia to offer tailor-made solutions for its customers. Sensors, software and intelligent connectivity are the basis for driver assistance systems.
Continental began research and development more than 20 years ago. In assisted, automated and autonomous driving, the company is already one of the leading automotive suppliers. In 2021 alone, more than 28 million cameras, radar and lidar sensors for assisted and automated driving functions were produced.
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