Siemens VDO moves eastward in Romania

Siemens VDO Automotive, a supplier of electronic systems for the car industry, is launching in Iasi the second software and electronic parts development centre in Romania, after having opened a similar centre in Timisoara in 2000.

The company”s representatives chose not to specify the value of investments in the new centre, yet some unofficial sources say the company rented 6,000 square metres inside the Tehnopolis building of Iasi.

“At this moment, the value of the investment carried out in Iasi is not relevant, but I can tell you this will mainly target employees” know-how,” Ioan Toncean, the manager of Siemens VDO Iasi development centre, explained for ZIARUL FINANCIAR.

“All I can tell you is that our investments have advanced each year and will continue to rise,” Toncean added.

At this moment, the new centre has 60 employees, and by September this number will go up to 100, according to the company”s officials.

The two Siemens VDO centres in Romania specialise in the development of software and hardware, which are further integrated into various electronic systems for the car industry. The company”s products are created with the purpose of optimising safety and comfort for car passengers, improving engine performance and protecting environment.

“Siemens VDO Romania receives orders from the parent company in Germany, whose customers include Daimler, Mercedes, Volkswagen and Honda,” stated Toncean. Siemens VDO has been present in Romania since 2000, when it opened the first development centre in Timisoara. The Timisoara project started with 10 people and now employs more than 1,200 people.

The performance of Iasi employees is the only criterion that will show whether this unit is going to register the strong pace of grow seen by Timisoara centre, states Toncean.

He specified he could not provide any forecasts as to the future performance of the unit in Iasi.

“The organisation”s culture, the team”s performances and the exceptional results make us one of the most important development centres of the company,” said Toncean.

Iasi was chosen to host the new development centre because of its universities, which turn out graduates with a solid training, the availability of the necessary infrastructure to develop the business and the authorities” openness to promoting investments of this type, stated company officials.

“The development centre in Timisoara is highly profitable and this is the very reason why Siemens decided to expand operations,” Varujan Pambuccian, chairman of the Commission for Information Technology and Communications of the Chamber of Deputies, explained to ZF. radu.tataru@zf.ro