The new building, spanning 7,600 square meters of usable space across three floors, is designed to deliberately break away from the traditional office concept. The structure will house a center for research, development, and advanced technologies, including computer, development, and mechanical laboratories, focusing on areas from manufacturing to solutions applied to automobiles and tires.
According to company administrator Pedro Carreira, the center will initially bring together employees from various technological areas currently dispersed across several buildings at the Lousado site, progressively increasing to half a thousand employees based on market needs and regional talent availability. "Innovation already exists, we are doing it and will continue to do so, but having employees from these areas all in the same space, discussing together, will be a very strong step for the development of new ideas and concepts," stated Pedro Carreira.
The ceremony was attended by the President of the Municipal Chamber of Famalicão, Mário Passos, the Councilor for Economy, Augusto Lima, the President of the Parish Council of Lousado, Jorge Ferreira, and the head of the Technology Center, Ricardo Martins. Mário Passos highlighted the company's commitment to the region and the reinforcement of the factory's position as a technological hub. Edwin Goudswaard, Global Head of Research and Development at Continental, emphasized the increasing importance of technology and innovation for business competitiveness and creativity.
The Lousado factory, inaugurated in 1946 as Mabor and integrated into the Continental Group in 1990, is one of Continental's largest tire production facilities worldwide. The group's four companies in Lousado employ over 3,800 collaborators. This investment unequivocally reinforces Vila Nova de Famalicão's status as a territory of excellence, where strong industrial capacity goes hand in hand with the knowledge economy, digital transition, and cutting-edge innovation.
