Continental Automotive | News | 2025 | Digital, Automated and Efficient: The Continental Megafactories

With its targeted megafactory strategy, the technology company Continental continues to drive forward the paradigm shift in production of automotive user experience (UX) technologies and creates great advantages, both economically and technologically. Production sites such as Timișoara in Romania or Brandýs nad Labem in the Czech Republic are pioneers for automation and digitalization in Continental Automotive's production network.

In manufacturing, Continental makes a conscious effort to be represented globally with production sites in order to produce for local markets and to be able to ensure the availability of products via the global production network at all times. The latest simulation and generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are used there. In line with this, the technology company is driving forward projects such as Continental's very own immersive Industrial Metaverse and is involved in industry initiatives such as DIAZI to make production more digital and further automate.

Anyone who has ever sat in front of an integrated display in a car of the latest generation, which fits seamlessly in a C or L shape across the entire width of the vehicle cockpit, will quickly realize that the production of such a “pillar-to-pillar display” is highly complex and places enormous demands on manufacturing quality. This is only possible with qualified employees and consistent standardization, automation and digitization in production to create the necessary economic and technological synergies. Continental therefore relies on so-called megafactories for the production of its display solutions, digital clusters and head-up displays (HUD). The term "mega" describes not only the scope of the production technologies used, but also the size and quantity of the products to be produced.

In total, the UX business unit produces at twelve locations in Europe, China and North America. Continental is bundling production capacities and competencies centrally there. Production in Brandýs nad Labem in the Czech Republic is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and display solutions have been produced in our megafactory based in Timisoara, Romania, for around two decades. Both locations have in common that they have been expanded step by step into a megafactory. And both are pioneers of digitally networked production technologies and pioneers of Industry 4.0. Experience, knowledge and results are shared in the global manufacturing network, adapted for other locations and finally rolled out there.

Timișoara: Highlight of standardization

The UX production facility in Timișoara was opened back in 2006 and has been considered a megafactory since its third expansion in 2022. On 18,000 square meters, teams work in various work lines at over 100 workstations. Almost 100 integrated collaborative robots (so-called cobots) ensure an efficient and precise manufacturing process, for example through big data applications and autonomous, automated transport systems. Production figures have been successively increased since the start of the megafactory.

Timișoara stands out especially when it comes to digitization and automation with its approximately 2,400 employees. Virtual reality line planning, simulation and optimization enable the production of large display solutions at top speed and high quality. Augmented reality is also used for maintenance and product development. Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics support the production specialists. This leads to cost savings and increases quality. “The cobots take on manufacturing tasks, for example, to reduce the physical and mental workload of employees and thus improve ergonomics. The driverless transporters automatically bring material to the workstations and, like the cobots, thus increase productivity. The bottom line is that Continental Automotive is also creating attractive and sustainable jobs,” explains Lucian Mărgineanu, Plant Manager of the Megafactory in Timișoara.

Our Megafactory in Timisoara has integrated AutoStore, a fully automated robotic system for logistics and materials management, while establishing a global benchmark through its Competence Center for HUD Production. This center features complete vertical integration and consolidates research and development, production, and UX sample prototyping within a single facility.

The production of curved displays shows how the interaction works in such a smart factory: Until the final assembly, several work lines run in parallel with a high degree of automation. From assembling printed circuit boards that have electronic components on the front and back to inserting the light guides that ensure uniform illumination of the entire surface of the display, all process steps are also controlled by AI algorithms and monitored by cameras. In a clean room, the pre-assembled displays are brought into position by optical bonding and brought together with their front. The various components are glued together in such a way that no air remains between the glass and the display. The advantages: better readability, no annoying reflections and excellent image quality. During final assembly, the different printed circuit boards are then glued on and final screwdriving processes are completed. The final step is a test of the light and touch functions. And all this at a high production speed – thanks to standardization and digitalization.

“The degree of standardization in our megafactories is highly advanced, enabling our competitiveness through a high degree of reuse and multi-use” explains Cosmin Alexandru Parvu, Head of Operations of the UX business area at Continental Automotive. “Our teams take full advantage of the benefits of Industry 4.0 and artificial intelligence”.

Brandýs nad Labem: 5G network dedicated to high-tech manufacturing requirements

Standardization is also the keyword at Continental's megafactory for display solutions in Brandýs nad Labem, Czech Republic. Here, Continental Automotive manufactures automotive electronics, on-board instruments and display solutions, as well as telematics and eCall systems. Production in Brandýs is a pioneer in digitalization. Recently, the production site was accepted as a member of the “WEF Global Lighthouse Network” – a community of technology leaders who have proven themselves in the implementation of manufacturing technologies for Industry 4.0. In 2023, the first private 5G network was launched at a European manufacturing site. The network accelerates communication between employees, devices and machines such as sensors, production robots and autonomous transport vehicles. “This will improve the collaboration between Continental’s plants within the global production system,” explains Cosmin Alexandru Parvu, “By collecting all the data from the production process, we can identify opportunities for improvement across manufacturing network, becoming more efficient, faster, and effective. At the same time, it marks an important step toward achieving a fully digital factory”.

With Continental's very own immersive Industrial Metaverse on the way to the digital factory of the future

One of our innovative projects based on the concept of Industrial Metaverse provides an additional boost on the way to the digital factory. Continental's very own immersive Industrial Metaverse is a platform where we build and interact with our factory digital twin. The tool helps us on our way to create a cross functional collaboration platform for our engineers. Additionally, the platform can be used to gain real-time insights into factories, processes, devices, and products. “This data is aggregated into a cloud-based data pool that serves as the basis for the applications of digital twins such as simulations and AI. Accessing and analyzing data from our factories helps us make quick decisions for production optimization, ensuring everyone in our organization has easy access to the information they need”, explains Krushna Bhumireddy, Digitalization Project Manager at UX.

With the megafactory strategy and digitalization to state-of-the-art production

Whether it's a megafactory or digitalization projects like our own immersive Industrial Metaverse, the vision of the digital, smart factory is taking shape at Continental. The improved control of capacity utilization also makes production processes more efficient, faster and more effective, and thus also more cost-effective. In addition, the technologies support a zero-defect strategy and make production processes more robust. So not only is the future of driving digital and automated, but also the production of the displays that enable such a driving experience.