Continental Centralized Automotive R&D in Silicon Valley
April 2017 – Tier 1 automotive components and subsystems provider held an event to celebrate the grand opening of their new Advanced Automotive R&D Center in the heart of Silicon Valley. Moving from the temporary facility they have used in the area for several years, the new facility, specifically designed by them, was opened with an event that featured Continental executives and government officials.
Silicon Valley Automotive R&D Headquarters for Continential
From the Silicon Valley side were a representative for Senator Ro Khana along with San Jose Mayor and smart city advocate Sam Liccardo. They joined in the celebration lead off by Continental North America CEO Samir Salmanof and the Ralf Lenninger CEO of the Continental Intelligent Transportation System, LLC Executive Vice President of ITS Business Unit which is operating the new San Jose .
ConTech Current focus areas for Mobility R&D
The facility is the first ever to Continental that brings all 5 areas of R&D into one site. These areas are focusing on innovation in Clean Engines, Mobile Connectivity, Mobile Safety with Automated Subsystems, ADAS and Tires. The company is one of the global top 3 suppliers in the automotive marketplace focusing on Chassis, Powertrain and Tire Innovations.
ConTech Vehicle Interior R&D markets
The new 65,000 Sq ft facility is focusing on the new world of mobility and mobile platforms rather than the car just being a vehicle. The Silicon Valley location is key for them due to the openness and availability of infrastructure in the area for development of their smart city connectivity. These activities are focusing on vehicle and driver awareness from lighting, sensors and others vehicles on the road. The Continental center is the first to bring mainstream automotive R&D to the SJ area, rather than just the connected vehicle aspect of the cars.
