Hella expands network with two development sites in Romania
Automotive supplier Hella, operating under the FORVIA umbrella brand, is further expanding its European research and development network in the electronics area with two new development sites in the major Romanian cities of Iași and Oradea.
At the sites, the development of forward-looking product technologies is to be driven forward along key market trends such as automated driving and electromobility. Within the next three to four years, a total of up to 300 new jobs are to be created there.
"The need for electronics solutions is continuously increasing as the industry continues to change. With our two new development sites, we are further strengthening our positioning to meet the high demand for our products. In Romania, we have already been represented for many years with essential high-performance electronics sites. For example, highly sophisticated control units are already being developed there today. In this respect, it was obvious for us to build on this network and further strengthen our presence in the country", says Björn Twiehaus, Managing Director Electronics at HELLA in a press release.
The main focus of the new Technical Center in Oradea is the development of new product solutions for electric vehicles, including battery management systems and voltage converters. The Iași site's initial tasks include software development and testing for 77 GHz radar sensors, a central key technology for assisted and automated driving. The two sites have started operations this fall with a core team of about ten engineers each.
"We decided to expand our network at the Oradea and Iași sites because they offer excellent conditions. As university towns and important economic centers in the north of the country, they had a large potential of highly qualified specialists, which is particularly important for us as a technology-strong automotive supplier", says Gelu Murariu, General Manager of HELLA Romania.
