Conti Invests in China Engineering Centre

Continental’s Automotive Systems Division has announced plans to build a dedicated engineering centre in China. On July 10 the company announced in Shanghai that 48 million euros have been earmarked for the project, which will be comprised of two facilities, an office site with design and test labs in the Yangpu District of Shanghai and a site containing large-scale equipment for bench testing. This second site will be an extension of the existing Continental Automotive Systems Shanghai facility in Jiading. The Yangpu site will also serve as the new Asia headquarters of Continental’s Automotive Systems, ContiTech and Passenger & Light Truck Tire divisions. Both facilities will be fully operational at the beginning of 2009 and provide employment for about 450 people, with the potential for this number to increase to 600 by 2011.

The new Shanghai engineering centre marks a further milestone in Conti’s growth in China. Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann, president of Continental Automotive Systems and Continental AG board member, said: “China is playing an increasingly important role in the future development of the global automotive industry. The establishment of a dedicated engineering centre in Shanghai marks a strategic step towards our goal to be one of the leading automotive suppliers in China.”

“By 2010, we want to double our sales in Asia. Continental Automotive Systems’ growth in China will contribute significantly to the realisation of this goal,” added Jay Kunkel, president of the Asia Region and member of the Management Board at Continental Automotive Systems.