Continental opens Competence Center in Ostrava

The Sensors & Actuators (S&A) Business Unit, which is part of the Continental Powertrain Division, has opened a competence center in Ostrava, which is responsible for worldwide research and development in the field of sensors and actuators. The growth of this business segment is also the reason for opening this new site. S&A development was previously located in Frenstat, which is 40 km south of Ostrava. Continental has a large production site here where products from all three of the Automotive divisions are produced and which employs 2.500 people. "The expansion of production in Frenstat, especially in the area of sensors and actuators, made it necessary to relocate our development department," explains Klaus Hau, Head of the Sensors & Actuators Business Unit. "We chose Ostrava as the site for our new competence center for a number of reasons, including its proximity to Frenstat and its easily accessible location. The deciding factor, however, is the potential for growth that Ostrava offers us as a major city with a renowned technical university. This is because our highly qualified employees are our most important asset. For example, working together with the university enables us to make the specialists of tomorrow aware early on of the prospects that we can offer them as a world-leading automotive supplier." The new competence center is located in a modern laboratory and office complex with nearly 5.000 square meters of floor space. While the office building was already built, the building with the laboratories and workshops has been newly constructed. The relocation from Frenstat takes place in two stages: The majority of the workforce moved to Ostrava in April, with the remaining employees moving there gradually by July. When the relocation phase is complete, around 160 employees will work in the new center. In the medium term, there are plans to increase the workforce to 200 employees. "The modern office space and the new laboratory wing provide us with very good working conditions," says Mojmir Sustala, Head of S&A activities in Ostrava. "And what is important with a view to the future is that this site gives us the flexibility we need for further expansion. Overall the building has space for 250 employees."