Continental plans to invest around 75 million over the next three years in two sites, at Memmingen and a new central location in Neu-Ulm. The company plans to expand in the field of driver assistance systems, automated driving and strengthening development locations in Germany. 

"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," said Frank Petznick, Head of the Autonomous Mobility Business Area at Continental.

The ground-breaking ceremony for the new development campus in Memmingen took place on March 30 and is expected to be completed by mid-2023. In the new 6,000 square meter development campus, the company is merging previously separate locations for research and development, as well as workshop areas. Around 25 million euros is expected to be invested in this new office and workshop space.

The development campus is connected to a 30-hectare test site, FAKT-motion. The test track will be used by Continental as part of a long-term partnership to develop solutions for driver assistance systems and automated driving functions in Europe.

"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," said Marc Haussmann, Location Manager, Memmingen.

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. Since 2013, around 600 employees in these areas have been researching and developing driver assistance systems and automated driving at three locations. The plan is to invest around 50 million euros and  after completion the new building will offer a total of around 700 workplaces on 15,500 square meters.

Florian Schwab, Location Manager Ulm/Neu-Ulm, added that bringing all employees of the three currently separated locations together at a central location in Neu-Ulm is an important step for even better cooperation.