Continental Grows Silicon Valley R&D Presence

SAN JOSE, CA – Continental, a major automotive supplier, opens its new Silicon Valley Research and Development Center here.

The 65,000-sq.-ft. (6,040-sq.-m) facility features large garage bays, laboratories and workspaces and can house more than 300 engineers, programmers, designers and innovation experts working across Continental’s five divisions. Engineers will continue collaborating on advancing technologies to achieve the company’s goals of safety, clean energy and holistic connectivity.

Continental will continue to set new benchmarks on fuel efficiency with its latest technology developments in electrification, the supplier says in a news release.

The Powertrain division drives R&D of hybrid and electric-drive components and systems. The heart of the Interior division focuses on clean energy, information management inside and outside the vehicle, connectivity between vehicles and their surroundings, as well as the creation of the holistic human-machine interface.

The Interior division will continue to advance intelligent transportation systems at the new R&D Center, ensuring a smarter interior for a safer, more comfortable and efficient drive. The company’s Vision Zero goal drives the Chassis & Safety division with its mission to create a world with zero traffic accidents and fatalities.

Continental currently develops and produces integrated active- and passive-driving safety technologies and products, such as sensors and advanced driver-assistance systems. The Tire and ContiTech divisions will use the Silicon Valley location to study new applications for their products, such as hoses and surface material, and look for innovative roles for its rubber and plastics technologies for the cars of the future.

Continental has been present in Silicon Valley for many years and in 2014 established an office to serve as headquarters for its Continental Intelligent Transportation Systems business unit. The unit is dedicated to mobility services and developing products such as vAnalytics, a cloud-based service platform for OEMs, dealers and auto-repair shops as well as car owners and drivers.

“The Research and Development Center is a part of the global Continental network of over 32,000 engineers, which means it has the power of Continental's technical community behind it," says Kurt Lehmann, corporate technology officer.