May 7 2025 – The company is quick to respond to market developments in an innovative way, building on its strong competitive position. Among other things, the future company Aumovio can build on a strong presence in China, where Automotive produces and develops for the local market for global manufacturers.
For many years, Continental's Automotive group sector has purposefully established manufacturing and development sites around the world, thereby localizing its value chain. The objective is to develop and produce products tailored to the respective local requirements “in the market for the market”. Combined with the global manufacturing network, this ensures that products are always available. With this “local for local” approach, the company can guarantee fast and flexible cooperation with manufacturers in the respective market.
Asia, and China in particular, play a special strategic role in this context: the Chinese market is now the world's largest automotive market and is expected to grow faster than the overall market over the next five years, according to internal forecasts and estimates by market research companies. The rise of Chinese manufacturers in recent years is expected to continue. This will lead to higher car production – with a resulting increase in vehicle exports by Chinese manufacturers all over the world. Technological development in China is also extremely dynamic: development cycles here are shorter than elsewhere. Chinese OEMs are investing strongly in new technologies, particularly in electrification. All of this makes China an important growth market for the automotive industry as a whole and for the future company Aumovio.
Continental’ group sector Automotive is on the way to becoming the independent adaptive powerhouse Aumovio and is consistently geared towards future technologies.
Further strengthening the value chain in China
The group sector has continuously expanded its presence in China in recent years building a strong basis for its future as an independent company. This includes a strong local manufacturing base for Chinese and international automotive manufacturers, as well as an ecosystem to collaborate with local suppliers and technology partners. The aim is to produce close to the customer and to address local market requirements in local research and development, enabling rapid implementation. Speed is always top of mind here – because in the Chinese automotive market, it's the key to success.
Enno Tang, President and CEO of Continental China, says: “In China, even more than in other markets, speed is key. With our local manufacturing and development activities, we are driving China's future mobility forward. Our strong presence in the country and our strategy, which is aligned with local market requirements, enable us to act flexibly, quickly and in a customer-oriented way. We maintain close ties with local customers and focus on their requirements. In recent years, we have further localized our value chain in China and expanded our innovative strength in the market.”
A successful market presence for 30 years
Continental Automotive has been present in China for 30 years. It employs around 10,000 people at 12 manufacturing sites and 8 R&D Centers there, including Shanghai, Chongqing and Wuhu, Changchun and Nanjing. In the 2024 fiscal year, Automotive generated around 14 percent of its global sales in China. The important production locations in China include the location in Shanghai. As one of the flagship and benchmark plants, Automotive sets a high standard for operational excellence there.
Since 2021, Continental Automotive has also been operating a Development Center for software and system solutions in Chongqing, in the southwest of the country. The technologies developed by Continental in China are for example embedded in innovative driver assistance systems, support high-performance computers, customer-friendly architectures in vehicles or enable end-to-end connectivity of vehicle systems.
Cooperation with Horizon Robotics and INGEEK
Automotive has established several technology partnerships in China. For instance, Continental Automotive has been working closely with Horizon Robotics, one of the world's leading providers of edge computing platforms for artificial intelligence (AI), for several years on the research and development of intelligent driver assistance systems. In 2022, the two companies founded the joint venture Horizon Continental Technology (HCT), which focuses on integrated hardware and software solutions for driver assistance systems and automated driving. At Auto Shanghai, Continental Automotive has presented, among otherthings, the Luna and Astra driver assistance systems from this joint venture.
Another example is INGEEK, a leading company in China for digital car access. Continental has been invested here since 2024. Through this strategic partnership, both companies want to leverage their strengths in car access system technology, industrial production, toolchain, data security, user experience and ecosystem services. The future company Aumovio will build on these partnerships to further enhance its strong technology position in the Chinese market.
“China is a good example of how we intend to leverage global growth opportunities with our strategy of developing and producing for the market. Our partnerships and innovations in China show how we can offer innovative technology for the respective market requirements and thereby help shape the safe, exciting, connected and autonomous mobility of the future,” said Enno Tang.