Continental has inaugurated a new 13,000m² facility to expand its R&D capabilities in Bangalore. With a total investment of US$14 million and a current headcount of around 1,000 engineers, the new Technical Center India (TCI) facility at Gold Hill Supreme, Electronic City Phase II will meet the increasing demand for engineering and software development skills to support global R&D projects as well as local customers. Eight state-of-the-art R&D labs will be housed in the new facility.
Speaking at the occasion, Helmut Matschi, president of the interior division and member of the executive board of Continental, says: “India’s talent pool is strategic to our growth, globally and in Asia. Continental has invested significantly in the Tech Center since its inception, a confirmation of our commitment to India. While our engineers in India are making valuable contributions to the development of advanced technology for developed markets, Continental is equally excited by the prospect of growing with the automotive market in the country.”
“With its access to qualified engineers and its high flexibility, Tech Center India delivers best quality and highly efficient engineering support to Continental globally. Setting up the TCI is an ideal situation for us and our customers,” says Frank Jourdan, president of the chassis and safety division and member of the executive board of Continental. “We are able to attract the huge talent pool in India to work on the latest technologies and innovations, while at the same time offering first-class services globally. For R&D activities, initially in software and algorithm development for advanced driver assistance systems, we hired 150 new engineers at the TCI last year.”
Christian Senger, senior vice president automotive systems and technology at Continental, adds: “Tech Center India was established in 2009 and has expanded rapidly in scale and capability. Today, our engineers in India are developing one-channel ABS solutions for two wheelers alongside highly sophisticated technologies for domains such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. Adding value with its understanding of the local market and customers, TCI is fast emerging as a Center of Competence for two-wheeler markets and for customized products for the BRIC countries.”
“Tech Center India has almost doubled its engineering strength since its establishment. With this expansion, our total capacity will increase to 1,300 and our headcount will ramp up further in the near future,” says Raghav Gulur, head of Continental’s TCI. “We will continue to leverage our local expertise and collaborate with global teams to deliver solutions that address the needs of the automotive industry; affordable and safe mobility being two of our key focus areas.”