In an interview with Automotive Today, Liviu Bălan, Head of Country at AUMOVIO Romania, discusses the company’s evolution following its establishment as an independent technology company, as well as its growing footprint and strategic priorities in Romania.

With around 12,000 employees across Brasov, Iasi, Sibiu and Timisoara, AUMOVIO Romania plays an important role in the company’s global R&D, engineering, manufacturing and innovation activities. In the interview, Liviu Bălan highlights the country’s contribution to the development of future mobility technologies, including software-defined vehicle architectures, artificial intelligence, connectivity, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), intelligent safety technologies and advanced electronics.

He also shares his perspective on AUMOVIO’s investment priorities in Romania, the importance of developing local talent and innovation capabilities, and the opportunities and challenges facing the Romanian automotive industry over the next five years. The discussion also addresses the measures that could further strengthen Romania’s position as a leading automotive manufacturing and technology hub in Europe.

Please provide a brief overview of your company in Romania, including annual turnover (latest available fiscal year), number of employees and main business activities.

In September 2025, AUMOVIO emerged as a spin-off from Continental’s former Automotive group sector and has since established itself as an independent technology company. We provide components and solutions that make future mobility safe, exciting, connected, and autonomous. Headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, AUMOVIO has around 82,000 employees at more than 80 locations worldwide. In fiscal year 2025, AUMOVIO generated sales of € 18.5 billion.

In Romania, AUMOVIO has a strong national presence, with operations in Brasov, Iasi, Sibiu, and Timisoara. The company runs four research and development centers (R&D) and two production facilities, located in Sibiu and Timisoara. The Romanian team includes around 12,000 employees. From our country, AUMOVIO offers a broad portfolio of solutions including sensors, displays, braking and comfort systems, and advanced ADAS and architecture platforms, underpinned by strong expertise in development, production, testing, validation and engineering solutions.

How would you assess your company’s performance over the past year, and what were the main growth drivers?

In a dynamic and rapidly evolving mobility landscape, AUMOVIO launched as an independent technology company in September 2025. We are set to become the “Adaptive Powerhouse for Future Mobility”, making it safe, exciting, connected, and autonomous. AUMOVIO is all about mobility and innovation, with technologically leading products and various services.

And Romania is an integral part of this journey. We are motivated to advance AUMOVIO’s market leadership through the expertise and dedication of our teams in R&D, production, services, qualification laboratories, enabling and global functions. Together, we remain focused on creating long-term value for our company, customers, partners, and stakeholders.

What are your business priorities and strategic objectives for the next three to five years?

As an independent company, we benefit from increased agility, a sharper value-generation strategy, and a footprint that combines global synergies with strong local presence. We are committed to win and we combine action in the here and now while thinking ahead of the curve.

We remain focused in our Romanian sites on strengthening local capabilities, investing in automation and new technologies, consolidating supplier ecosystems, and continuously developing our teams to succeed in an increasingly complex and software-driven mobility landscape. We are reliable, no matter what and have three strategic objectives: Lead in future-proof technologies. Transform into a high-performance organization. Deliver on our financial targets. In a nutshell: We’re triple ready!

The automotive industry is evolving rapidly through electrification, AI, automation, connected mobility, and software development. Which technologies are currently shaping your company’s future strategy?

Anticipating new technologies, changing customer needs and regulatory requirements is part of our strategy at AUMOVIO. As a global technology partner, we are actively involved in all areas of development in the world of mobility. We tackle every challenge with energy and flexibility, continuing to build on a solid foundation, with decades of experience, a strong market position, and pioneering innovation in Romania and globally.

Speaking about the new technologies, our sites in Brasov, Iasi, Sibiu and Timisoara are future-ready: digitalized, innovative, and with strong competencies. We are equipped and focus on enabling the next generation of mobility through software-defined vechicle architectures, artificial intelligence, connected mobility solutions, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), intelligent safety technologies, cutting-edge electronics, and high-automation manufacturing systems. At the same time, we continue to strengthen local supplier ecosystems and strategic partnerships to accelerate innovation and support sustainable mobility solutions.

What role does research, development, and innovation play within your Romanian operations?

Romania is home to R&D centers and competence hubs that support worldwide customers and all our business areas: Architecture and Network Solutions, Autonomous and Commercial Mobility, Safety and Motion, User Experience. Our capabilities extend to development, production, prototyping and testing, with solutions that go beyond the automotive industry. Innovation is at the core of everything we do, and we continuously invest in accelerating it through cutting-edge technologies, talent development, and cross-functional collaboration.

What are your main investment priorities in Romania over the coming years?

Our priorities in Romania focus on further strengthening our research and development expertise, expanding know-how in software engineering and digital technologies, and enhancing our testing, validation, and engineering infrastructure. We also continue to invest in advanced manufacturing processes and in developing competencies in key growth areas such as artificial intelligence, connectivity, autonomous driving and vehicle electronics. These initiatives reflect our strong confidence in Romania’s talent and technological excellence and reinforce the country’s significant contribution to AUMOVIO’s global technology and innovation activities.

Which factors make Romania an attractive destination for automotive investments, and what improvements would further strengthen its competitiveness?

Our country has all the key ingredients to remain a competitive and attractive investment destination: a highly skilled talent pool, deep automotive expertise, a strong industrial base, and an increasingly dynamic innovation ecosystem. To build on these advantages, continued investment in infrastructure, education, digital transformation, and emerging industries and technologies, combined with stronger public-private partnerships and a stable, predictable business environment, will be essential to unlocking future growth and attracting the next generation of high-value investments to Romania.

Recruiting and retaining skilled professionals remains a challenge across the industry. How is your company addressing workforce development?

Our people shape the future of mobility through passion, ownership and teamwork. We foster an environment where employees can grow professionally, work on cutting-edge technologies, and contribute to projects with global impact. At the same time, we invest in talent development through university partnerships, internship and graduate programs, technical training and international collaboration opportunities.

How do you support continuous learning, leadership development, and the reskilling of employees in an increasingly digital industry?

Continuous learning is essential in an industry undergoing rapid technological transformation. We provide employees with access to a wide range of development opportunities, including technical training, digital learning platforms, certification programs, leadership development initiatives, and cross-functional project experiences. We place particular emphasis on upskilling and reskilling in areas that are shaping the future of mobility, enabling our people to develop the skills needed to thrive in a fast-evolving industry.

What do you consider to be the biggest opportunities and challenges facing Romania’s automotive industry over the next five years?

European funding programs that support the development of future technologies represent a significant opportunity for Romania and its industries. As new sectors emerge and traditional industries evolve, Romania is well positioned to strengthen its role as a hub for innovation, advanced engineering, and high-value technology development. AUMOVIO Romania is actively involved in such initiatives and remains focused on advancing innovative technologies and engineering excellence.

At the same time, the automotive industry is undergoing a profound transformation driven by electrification, software-defined vehicles, connectivity, and autonomous driving. Through our hardware and software portfolio for safe, conne...

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