Continental has opened its third R&D facility in Singapore. The new seven-story building has a floor space of approximately 11,000m² and will incorporate the interior and powertrain divisions. Conti plans to hire more than 500 employees there in the next few years.

“Our presence in Asia has grown significantly. In 2017 we made 22% of our total sales in the region. The opening of our third R&D building in Singapore attests to our confidence in, and commitment to, Singapore as a strategic location to expand our research and development centers in Asia. With the new building designed to foster innovation, [and]inclusiveness, we are ready for the future. We will be hiring more engineers with the relevant competencies and knowledge to ride the growth and demand for new technologies in the industry,” said Helmut Matschi, member of the Continental executive board and head of the interior division.

“Continental’s latest R&D expansion in Singapore will introduce new focus areas such as intelligent mobility and mobility services, given the burgeoning interest in urban mobility. We look forward to more like-minded partners leveraging Singapore’s strong research capabilities to develop, test and commercialize mobility solutions to serve the region’s increasing mobility needs,” said Lim Kok Kiang, assistant managing director, Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).

“In 2012, we had 650 employees, and to date we have more than 1,300, doubling the figure in just over a span of six years. The rapid development within the automotive industry necessitates having sufficient talent and our target is to grow to more than 2,000 employees within the next five years,” said Lo Kien Foh, managing director of Continental automotive Singapore.

The center will house a diverse talent pool of more than 20 nationalities. Its design incorporates features including hydraulically adjustable workstations, sound-proofed booths for teleconferencing, and small discussion pods to name a few. The interior of the building also boasts vibrant colors with natural lighting and wide open spaces to create a stimulating work environment.