As part of its initiative in expanding global activities in driver assistance systems and automated driving technology, the global technology company Continental announced that it is augmenting development locations in Germany.
As per the communication from the company, it 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 30, 2022. Completion and occupation of the new building is planned for mid-2023, the communication noted.
In Neu-Ulm, employees from three locations in Ulm and Neu-Ulm will be brought together to bundle competencies. 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 a total of almost € 75 million in the two locations over the next three years.
Frank Petznick, Head - Autonomous Mobility Business Area, Continental, said, '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
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 will be invested in new office and workshop space when construction begins. The new building, which offers space for up to 150 employees, is scheduled to 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.
Marc Haussmann, Location Manager, Memmingen, Continental, said, '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.'
Merging Three Locations
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. After completion in 2024, the new building will offer a total of about 700 workplaces on 15,500 square meters.
Florian Schwab, Location Manager Ulm/Neu-Ulm, Continental, said, '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.'