With the third expansion since 2006, the Continental
plant in Timisoara, Romania, has become a
megafactory.
• Continental establishes cutting edge production technologies in Timisoara (Romania)
• Mega with regards to technologies and products: Mega factory strategy creates
economic and technological synergies
• Expanded production capacities put Continental at forefront of future production for
innovative User Experience technologies
Babenhausen, Germany, November 15, 2022. Continental is expanding its Romanian site in
Timisoara into a new dimension: The expansion of the plant is the third since its opening in 2006.
After a construction time of less than a year the expanded mega factory was opened in November
and will produce e.g. innovative User Experience solutions such as displays at the enlarged site.
With an investment of around €40 million, the production area will grow by over 7,000 to 18,000
square meters, which means an increase of more than 60 percent of the space. However,
establishing a mega factory not only marks an increase in area, but above all focuses on the
technological innovation of production. The term “mega” refers to the extent of the production
technologies being used and the size of the production area and products themselves. Continental
has recently won additional major orders worth more than €2 billion from global vehicle
manufacturers for its large display solutions. This brings the awarded lifetime sales for Continental
display solutions with SOP after 2022 to over €7 billion.
With the expansion, Continental is bundling production capacities and competencies at a selected
central location – just as the occupants’ interaction with the vehicle merges from various small and
decentral screens into large integrated display solutions spanning from pillar to pillar. With this
mega factory strategy the technology company continues to drive forward the paradigm shift in
production of automotive user experience technologies and creates great advantages, both
economically and technologically. Especially the extremely complex manufacturing of large display
solutions such as C-Shape, L-Shape or Pillar-to-Pillar Displays requires bundled production
volumes to increase in quality and speed.
Cutting edge technology for production of display
solutions: Continental’s mega factory in Timisoara
uses artificial intelligence for final quality tests.
“What used to be the horsepower under the hood is now the user experience. The way the
occupants interact with the vehicle, connect, communicate, relax, are informed or entertained, is
becoming the key criterion in the purchase decision. In order to satisfy our customer’s growing
demand, we need to aim for the highest possible digitalization, standardization and automatization
– and that is exactly what we are doing with our new mega factory in Timisoara”, says Philipp von
Hirschheydt, Head of User Experience Business Area at Continental. “We bundle our
competencies of products and technologies in this plant to put ourselves at the forefront of modern
display production, driving the future of mobility.”
A highly automated, digitally connected, sustainable facility for future mobility solutions
The Continental Automotive plant in Timisoara has been a pioneer in terms of digitally connected
production technologies for many years and is considered a benchmark factory for Industry 4.0. By
focusing on people, standardization, automation and digitalization, the expanded plant in Timisoara
covers all the crucial topics of future mobility and future-proofs the technology company’s display
production worldwide. Especially the automation of simple tasks leads to a higher production
speed while at the same time standardization ensures higher quality. In combination with the focus
on digitalization and people the expansion creates competitive advantages in the production of
complex display solutions. Virtual Reality line planning, simulation and optimization will enable Continental to produce large display solutions at top speed with high quality and low invests.
The trend toward large displays continues unabated,
calling for large high-tech manufacturing facilities.
Augmented Reality is used for maintenance and product development leading to cost savings and
higher quality. Artificial Intelligence and Robotics support the employees who additionally benefit
from the fact that Continental places great emphasis here on creating a workplace that stands out
as a sustainable, attractive employer.
“The demand for integrated display solutions is growing enormously. With this plant extension and
our mega factory strategy, we strengthen our global manufacturing footprint to further enhance our
capabilities to develop solutions for a digital future. By connecting our manufacturing process
digitally, we enable production concepts of highest speed and quality. As a modern industrial
region with excellent infrastructures and highly qualified employees, Timisoara is the ideal location
for us to manufacture automotive high-tech electronics,” says Thomas Ebenhöch, Vice President
Operations of the User Experience Business Area at Continental.
The electronic components factory in Timisoara produces more than 17 million products annually.
These include for example airbag control units, electronic parking brakes, control units for air
suspension, damping and vertical stabilization, power steering control units as well as display
solutions and head-up displays.
Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people
and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable
solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. In 2021, Continental generated sales of €33.8
billion and currently employs more than 190,000 people in 58 countries and markets. On October 8, 2021,
the company celebrated its 150th anniversary.
With the third expansion since 2006, the Continental plant in Timisoara, Romania, has become a megafactory.
• Continental establishes cutting edge production technologies in Timisoara (Romania)
• Mega with regards to technologies and products: Mega factory strategy creates economic and technological synergies
• Expanded production capacities put Continental at forefront of future production for innovative User Experience technologies
Babenhausen, Germany, November 15, 2022. Continental is expanding its Romanian site in Timisoara into a new dimension: The expansion of the plant is the third since its opening in 2006. After a construction time of less than a year the expanded mega factory was opened in November and will produce e.g. innovative User Experience solutions such as displays at the enlarged site. With an investment of around €40 million, the production area will grow by over 7,000 to 18,000 square meters, which means an increase of more than 60 percent of the space. However, establishing a mega factory not only marks an increase in area, but above all focuses on the technological innovation of production. The term “mega” refers to the extent of the production technologies being used and the size of the production area and products themselves. Continental has recently won additional major orders worth more than €2 billion from global vehicle manufacturers for its large display solutions. This brings the awarded lifetime sales for Continental display solutions with SOP after 2022 to over €7 billion. With the expansion, Continental is bundling production capacities and competencies at a selected central location – just as the occupants' interaction with the vehicle merges from various small and decentral screens into large integrated display solutions spanning from pillar to pillar. With this mega factory strategy the technology company continues to drive forward the paradigm shift in production of automotive user experience technologies and creates great advantages, both economically and technologically. Especially the extremely complex manufacturing of large display solutions such as C-Shape, L-Shape or Pillar-to-Pillar Displays requires bundled production volumes to increase in quality and speed.
Cutting edge technology for production of display solutions: Continental’s mega factory in Timisoara uses artificial intelligence for final quality tests.
“What used to be the horsepower under the hood is now the user experience. The way the occupants interact with the vehicle, connect, communicate, relax, are informed or entertained, is becoming the key criterion in the purchase decision. In order to satisfy our customer’s growing demand, we need to aim for the highest possible digitalization, standardization and automatization – and that is exactly what we are doing with our new mega factory in Timisoara”, says Philipp von Hirschheydt, Head of User Experience Business Area at Continental. “We bundle our competencies of products and technologies in this plant to put ourselves at the forefront of modern display production, driving the future of mobility.” A highly automated, digitally connected, sustainable facility for future mobility solutions The Continental Automotive plant in Timisoara has been a pioneer in terms of digitally connected production technologies for many years and is considered a benchmark factory for Industry 4.0. By focusing on people, standardization, automation and digitalization, the expanded plant in Timisoara covers all the crucial topics of future mobility and future-proofs the technology company’s display production worldwide. Especially the automation of simple tasks leads to a higher production speed while at the same time standardization ensures higher quality. In combination with the focus on digitalization and people the expansion creates competitive advantages in the production of complex display solutions. Virtual Reality line planning, simulation and optimization will enable Continental to produce large display solutions at top speed with high quality and low invests.
The trend toward large displays continues unabated, calling for large high-tech manufacturing facilities.
Augmented Reality is used for maintenance and product development leading to cost savings and higher quality. Artificial Intelligence and Robotics support the employees who additionally benefit from the fact that Continental places great emphasis here on creating a workplace that stands out as a sustainable, attractive employer. “The demand for integrated display solutions is growing enormously. With this plant extension and our mega factory strategy, we strengthen our global manufacturing footprint to further enhance our capabilities to develop solutions for a digital future. By connecting our manufacturing process digitally, we enable production concepts of highest speed and quality. As a modern industrial region with excellent infrastructures and highly qualified employees, Timisoara is the ideal location for us to manufacture automotive high-tech electronics,” says Thomas Ebenhöch, Vice President Operations of the User Experience Business Area at Continental.
The electronic components factory in Timisoara produces more than 17 million products annually. These include for example airbag control units, electronic parking brakes, control units for air suspension, damping and vertical stabilization, power steering control units as well as display solutions and head-up displays.
Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. In 2021, Continental generated sales of €33.8 billion and currently employs more than 190,000 people in 58 countries and markets. On October 8, 2021, the company celebrated its 150th anniversary.
