Redesigned Continental Test Track in Veszprém

As a result of the latest investment, the German technology company Continental's vehicle dynamics test track facility in Veszprém, west central Hungary, is now suitable for the testing of highly automated safety functions and advanced driver assistance systems, following the latest automotive trends, which may strongly contribute to significantly faster development cycle times.

Building on a tradition of around 150 years, Hannover-based Continental AG has grown from a tyre manufacturing business into one of the largest TIER-1 suppliers in the world. The group's importance in the automotive industry is clearly highlighted by the fact that it played a key role in the technological development of hybrid drive systems in 1997. The company, which is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, gives work to about 232,000 employees in 59 countries, according to recent data.

A report by the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency says that Continental started its business in Hungary back in 1991 and, thanks to constant expansion, it has evolved into a factor of strategic importance for the global giant. Today the Germany-based technology company is represented with all its five divisions in Hungary. It has seven plants, a logistics center, a deep machine learning center (in Budapest), an R&D center (in Veszprém) and a tire distribution center. Continental Group, with a staff of around 8,000 in this country, considers Hungary as a strategic partner. Consequently, an ever-higher number of value-added post-production technological and development processes are brought here, which is clearly demonstrated by the investments of the past ten years reaching a total of EUR 500 million in Hungary.

Continental Automotive Hungary, in Veszprém, manufactures various high-quality sensors for automotive safety systems for all car manufacturers around the world. The company's production capacity is constantly expanding, and its research and development activities are also developing. The development centre and the test track, which is the largest in Eastern Europe, enable hundreds of development engineers to work on the development and testing of electronically controlled brake systems (ABS, ESC) and their components. The unit, which functions as a sensor development competence centre and is fully responsible for ESC systems, including the coordination of other locations, such as the Frankfurt headquarters, well deserves the acclaim to be shaping the future of safe mobility from Veszprém.

This is further strengthened by the redesigned test track, where engineers now have the opportunity to test developments in vehicle dynamics in five modules on site, namely dynamic surface, handling track, brake surface, uphill and downhill module, and tilted acceleration lane.