Takata Petri: Car industry needs higher productivity

Takata Petri, Japanese manufacturer of auto components and safety systems, which holds three plants on the local market, believes Romania is still an attractive location for automotive manufacturers. However, cost competitiveness has declined over the last few years, and an increase in productivity is viewed as the only solution to make up for this drop. “Romania is still advantageous, but things will not stay that way for long,” said Jacob Lux, communication manager of the Takata group. The company started its activity in Romania via its investments in the two Arad-based plants, which were built in 2001, where it manufactures seat belts and steering wheels. Later, Takata built a third plant, which produces airbags, in Sibiu, with company representatives putting investments at 25 million euros.