Die Volkswagen Infotainment GmbH is planning a new development center at the Bochum technology campus Mark 51°7. The subsidiary of Volkswagen AG specializing in software development and vehicle connectivity intends to group its specialists together at a central facility. The new building is to lay the foundation for further personnel growth at the Bochum location. In the presence of the Mayor of the City of Bochum, Thomas Eiskirch, and the Chief Financial Officer of the Car.Software organization in the Volkswagen Group, Frank Rösler, the Managing Directors of Volkswagen Infotainment, Bernhard Krausse and Tobias Nadjib, announced the decision on the project today. Construction is already to start in the fall of 2020.
Volkswagen Infotainment GmbH develops software solutions and digital components for automobiles from the Volkswagen Group, especially for models of Volkswagen Passenger Cars. These include a highly integrated modem unit (online connectivity unit, OCU) to connect the car to the Internet as well as providing various services such as weather maps, optimized traffic guidance and remote control of certain vehicle functions via a smart phone app.
“We are delighted with Volkswagen Infotainment’s decision to continue growing in our city,” says Thomas Eiskirch, Mayor of the City of Bochum. “The settlement is an important step in the further development of Mark 51°7 into an innovation district with excellent job prospects. And it is a clear signal that Bochum is the right location with a lot to offer for large, global companies. ”
“Our new development center in Bochum is an expression of our strong commitment to the research and technology region of the Ruhr,” says Tobias Nadjib, Managing Director of Volkswagen Infotainment. “In Bochum and the entire Ruhr area, we find an outstanding academic and business environment with many talents and experts. With our agility and our international team culture with people from more than 34 nations, we fit in very well here.”
Nadjib said that reasons for the decision in favor of the Bochum technology campus Mark 51°7 included its central position in the city and the fact that other innovative companies were also based there.
“With our new development center, we want to bring our employees together at a central facility in the future. This will make for greater cohesion and boost the efficiency of the entire organization,” says Bernhard Krausse, Managing Director and Spokesman of Volkswagen Infotainment. “This way, we are laying a firm foundation for continuing to develop digital high-tech products for the automobile of the future.”
Volkswagen Infotainment intends to bring three existing locations together
Currently, Volkswagen Infotainment GmbH works at three locations in the city of Bochum with a total of about 700 employees, including the Bochum University campus. At the new Bochum technology campus Mark 51°7, Volkswagen Infotainment now plans to establish a highly advanced development center with a total floor space of more than 20,000 square meters. All the employees are to work together under one roof. The new complex is to include an engineering center, a vehicle test hall, an audio laboratory and agile working areas with space for initially 800 employees. There is also the possibility of a second stage with a significantly larger number of workplaces. The project partner and developer is Hellmann Investment from Düsseldorf.
The Bochum location plays a key role in the Volkswagen Group’s software strategy
Bochum plays a key role in the software strategy of the Volkswagen Group. The automaker with headquarters in Wolfsburg is pooling the international know-how of its brands and Group companies in a Group software development unit, the Car.Software organization. The objective is to develop significantly more software and digital products for the car in-house. A key project is a dedicated vehicle operating system “VW.OS” for all future model generations from the Volkswagen Group. Volkswagen Infotainment will also be contributing its expertise to the Car.Software Organization.
“We will be massively strengthening our software competences,” says Frank Rösler, Chief Financial Officer of the Car.Software organization within the Volkswagen Group. “The key will be our Car.Software organization, which is developing a standardized, high-performance software platform for all Group brands and markets. This way, we intend to combine leading-edge technology with the scale potential of a global automotive group.”
SOURCE: Volkswagen
