Continental to Expand Presence in Europe with New Factory in Lithuania

Continental has announced that it is expanding its manufacturing footprint in Europe with the construction of a new plant in Lithuania. The company will break ground for the new plant in the middle of 2018. Continental currently plans to invest Euro 95 million over a period of five years to set up the new factory which will have a workforce of about 1,000 employees.

Commenting on the new plant, Dr. Hans-Jürgen Braun, head of 28 Central Electronic Plants worldwide at Continental said that the first Continental plant in Lithuania will play a key role in the company’s growth strategy in Europe. The plant will allow Continental to expand its electronics production and its presence in Europe in order to cater to the growing demand for automotive electronics in the European market.

The plant will be located in Kaunas, which according to Shayan Ali, future managing director of Continental in Lithuania is the ideal location as it offers excellent infrastructure and a highly qualified workforce. The plant is expected to become operational by the middle of 2019.

Lithuania’s prime minister Saulius Skvernelis said that Continental’s is the biggest greenfield investment project in Lithuanian history and the establishment of the plant is expected to have a significant positive impact on the automotive industry in Lithuania. He confirmed that the Lithuanian government would assist Continental in every way it could.

The plant in Kaunas which will include a production site covering 16,000 square metres will specialize in the production of door and seat control units, gateways and intelligent glass control units as well as radar sensors for comfort functions such as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and safety functions such as Emergency Brake Assist (EBA).