Automotive Today reveals the winners of the Automotive Industry Awards for Excellence Gala 2022

What a special evening we had at the Automotive Industry Awards for Excellence Gala organized by Automotive Today and The Diplomat and now in its 5th edition! As every year, the event celebrated excellence in the automotive industry and the impressive achievements of the winners at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bucharest.

These things would not have been possible without the support of our great partners, to whom we would like to say a big thank you: Diamond Partner Wipro, Strategic Partner ACAROM, Platinum Partners NXP Semiconductors and Bosch, Gold Partners Infineon Technologies Romania & CO. SCS, Deloitte, Klarwin, Horvath, Bunzl Romania, 3M, Partners Continental, Dekra, Vitesco Technologies, Leoni, Ford, Supporting Institutions Invest Romania, AHK Romania, BRCC-British Romanian Chamber of Commerce, Belgian Luxembourg Romanian Moldovan Chamber of Commerce, ADAA – Association for the Development of Local Entrepreneurship, Lovering & Partners Business Performance Consultants, HIM Public Affairs, SCS, WAVE, Media Partners Outsourcing Today, Sustainability Today, Financial Intelligence, Economistul, Romania Durabila, Club Economic, Ziarul Bursa.

Romania’s automotive champions were decided by the esteemed jury committee, comprised of top professionals from various business sectors: 

Carmen Adamescu, Partner Advisory, EY, Ciprian Gavriliu, Tax Partner, Deloitte Romania, Daniel Anghel, Tax and Legal Services Leader, PwC Romania, Adriana Record, Executive Director, CCIFER, Sebastian Metz, General Manager, AHK Romania, Andrei Mihai Craciun, Head of Digital Transformation at The West University of Timisoara, Colin C. Lovering, Chairman, British Romanian Chamber of Commerce.

A special thank you to our jury members for supporting this great event organized by Automotive Today and The Diplomat-Bucharest!

And now it’s time to reveal the list of winners at the Automotive Industry Awards for Excellence Gala 2022:

INNOVATION AWARD

This award goes to a company that provides a reference vehicle integration platform enables the hardware functionalities, accelerates customers software development and rapid prototyping efforts. The product is used in many following automotive applications and integrates graphical user interface, real-time use cases for evaluation, real-time resource monitoring and secure cloud connectivity with partner integration that supports over-the-air updates.

The award goes to NXP SEMICONDUCTORS ROMANIA for the Gold VIP (GoldBox Vehicle Integration Platform).

Finalists:

• HUF GROUP | Phone as a Key system based on Ultra-Wideband technology
• NXP SEMICONDUCTORS ROMANIA |NXP’s 5G Fixed Wireless Access Solution, The GoldVIP (GoldBox Vehicle Integration Platform) innovative solution
• CONTINENTAL ROMANIA | Development of the first fully autonomous vehicle in Romania
• SCHAEFFLER ROMANIA |   Development of ultrasonic technology-based verification machines at Brasov

GREEN MOBILITY AWARD

This award has been offered for a development platform that enables vehicle manufacturers to take advantage of current market trends efficiently and rapidly.

It is a versatile platform that combines hardware and software into a full system-level solution for EV real-time application development.  Developing on this platform, automotive engineers can rapidly create safe and efficient solutions for new vehicle architectures and software-defined vehicles, reducing cost and time to market. 

This well-deserved award goes to NXP SEMICONDUCTORS ROMANIA for the The GreenVIP (GreenBox Vehicle Integration Platform).

Finalists:

• NXP SEMICONDUCTORS ROMANIA | The GreenVIP (Vehicle Integration Platform), a critical piece of the NXP GreeBox3 Real-Time Development Platform
• FORD ROMANIA SERVICE   | Development of Mustang Mach-E and the Ford Pro service software ecosystem
• SPARK |   The partnership with Dacia and the add-on of 100 new fully electric Dacia in its fleet
• HELLA | Expansion of European R&D network at Iasi and Oradea

TECHNOLOGY PROVIDER OF THE YEAR

This award is for a company that developed an autonomous vehicle for testing technologies in the direction of autonomous driving. Many aspects of the technology used in the vehicle are based on driver assistance systems and sensors like radar and camera, that are already installed in today series production vehicles, as well as new technologies such as the 3D Flash Lidar.

The award goes to CONTINENTAL ROMANIA for Continental Urban Mobility Experience (CUbE).

Finalists:

• CONTINENTAL | The development of autonomous vehicle Continental Urban Mobility Experience
• INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES ROMANIA & CO. SCS | The strongest local semiconductor company with full product development lifecycle competence.
• LEONI | Global provider of products, solutions and services for energy and data management
• NXP SEMICONDUCTORS ROMANIA (four nominated projects)
• NXP’s 5G Fixed Wireless Access Solution
• Radar, a core technology for ADAS
• The GoldVIP (GoldBox Vehicle Integration Platform)
• The GreenVIP (GreenBox Vehicle Integration Platform)
• FORD ROMANIA SERVICES   | Development of Mustang Mach-E and the Ford Pro service software ecosystem
• SCHAEFFLER ROMANIA  |  Development of ultrasonic technology-based verification machines at Brașov

COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

This award has been won by the partnership between two companies for testing new solutions designed for automated vehicles.

The objective of this project is continuous optimization and innovation, based on data collected from real traffic scenarios. This new communications technology facilitates the rapid transmission of data from test vehicles to a central server or cloud infrastructure, so that engineers working on automated and assisted driving technologies can quickly process and analyze information.

The award goes to BOSCH ENGINEERING CENTER CLUJ & ORANGE BUSINESS SERVICES.

Finalists:

• DACIA & BCR   | Supporting Nextlab.Tech, the largest robotics competition in Romania
• BOSCH ENGINEERING CENTER CLUJ & ORANGE BUSINESS SERVICES | Testing solutions designed for automated cars, using “Vehicle-to-Everything”
• COMPA & ENEL X ROMANIA | The building of 1 MWp photovoltaic plant at Sibiu with Enel X Romania
• ELECTRICA FURNIZARE & ECKERLE AUTOMOTIVE |   The 315 kWp photovoltaic power in Cluj Napoca

EDUCATION COMITTMENT AWARD

This award has been offered for one of the most important private employers in Romania. This company started its operations in Romania in 1999, with the Arad production site. The Bistrita plant followed in 2002 and the Plant from Pitesti in 2005. Currently, it has a team of more than 11.000 people and is operating 10 production sites in Romania, having a total annual turnover of 537 million Euro in 2021.

This company has a commitment to Education & Youth development in Romania and has built a nationwide network of partnerships with Technical Universities in Bistrita, Cluj, Arad & Pitesti.

The award goes to LEONI.

Finalists:

• NXP SEMICONDUCTORS ROMANIA   |  NXP Romania University Program team celebrates the 22nd year of University Programs for NXP in Romania
• LEONI  |  Major contribution to the development of Education & Youth Development
• BOSCH GROUP IN ROMANIA |  Supporting universities and research, promotes general scientific progress 
• DACIA & BCR  |   Support of Nextlab.Tech, the largest robotics competition in Romania  
• CONTINENTAL  |  Attracting funds and research grants for the development of clean mobility, smart city projects
• STAR TRANSMISSION & STAR ASSEMBLY   | 330.000 euro for the modernization of teaching base of schools in Alba county 

CONTRIBUTION TO THE INDUSTRY AWARD

This award goes to a company with a strong growth in 2022: NoBug acquisition, Iasi Office opening, continuing and intensifying the partnerships with technical universities,  providing offering outstanding development opportunities for passionate engineers, and for full product development lifecycle competence.

This award goes to INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES ROMANIA & CO. SCS.

Finalists:

• INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES ROMANIA & CO. SCS  | The acquisition of NoBug Consulting Romania and NoBug Serbia
• HUF GROUP   |  Phone as a Key system based on Ultra-Wideband technology
• FORD ROMANIA  | The transfer of ownership of Ford Craiova plant from Ford Motor Company to
• Ford Otosan
• SCHAEFFLER ROMANIA  |  Development of ultrasonic technology-based verification machines at Brașov
• HELLA  |   Expansion of European R&D network at Iasi and Oradea

INVESTMENT PROJECT OF THE YEAR

This award is offered for one of the most important transactions for the Romanian economy in 2022. The transfer of ownership has been smoothly implemented and has been managed without interruption in the workflow of the plant and with no impact on the workforce of more than 5.500 employees. Along with the transfer of ownership, this company announced a 490-million-euro investment, that will prepare the Craiova plant for the electric future, with 3 full-electric models being built from 2024.

This award goes to FORD OTOSAN CRAIOVA.

Finalists:

• CONTINENTAL  |  Over 150 million Euro put in 2021 in buildings, equipment, technologies and people. 
• FORD ROMANIA  | The transfer of ownership of Ford Craiova plant from Ford Motor Company to Ford Otosan
• BOSCH GROUP IN ROMANIA |  The launch of the third production hall in Cluj with 55 million Euro.
• DRAXLMAIER  |   Over 200 million euros invested in buildings and production equipment for the next 6 years
• AUTOLIV  |  Investment of 55 million Euro in the factory in Lugoj and 300 new jobs openings.

SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

This year, the Sustainability Award is offered for a photovoltaic plant with a total installed capacity of about 1 MWp. The photovoltaic plant installed for a Romanian car component producer will provide an annual electricity production of about 1,240 MWh, contributing to cutting down carbon dioxide emissions by 390 tons / year.

The award goes to COMPA & ENEL X ROMANIA.

Finalists:

• BOSCH GROUP IN ROMANIA |  Production of self-generated green energy with photovoltaic panels with 5.2 million euros
• DACIA & VIITOR PLUS  | Verde GO initiative of Viitor Plus, supported by Dacia and the Ministry of Environment
• CONTINENTAL  |  The company procures all of the electricity for its production sites from renewable energy source. 
• COMPA SIBIU & Enel X Romania  |  The building of 1 MWp photovoltaic plant at Sibiu with Enel X Romania, part of Enel X, the advanced energy services division of the Enel Group
• ECKERLE AUTOMOTIVE & Electrica Furnizare  |  The 315 kWp photovoltaic power plant generating annual electricity production of 339 MWh

CSR AWARD

The awarded company this evening sponsored in 2021 almost 2 million euros for CSR projects.

The largest project consisted in the sponsorship of the amount of 600,000 euros for construction works directed mainly to the hydrotherapy area of the first National Pediatric Center in Romania located in Alba Iulia. Also, the company sponsored supported the purchase of two ambulances, as well as the thermal renovation of the headquarters of the Alba Iulia Red Cross branch, with a total amount of 240,000 euros.

The winner of this award is STAR TRANSMISSION & STAR ASSEMBLY.

Finalists:

• NXP SEMICONDUCTORS ROMANIA   | 25.000 USD donation to to Red Cross Romania for Ukrainian vulnerable persons
• BOSCH GROUP IN ROMANIA  | EduCare Program that guarantees and improves access to education
• CONTINENTAL   | Over 130,000 euros investment in value-added projects for communities 
• SCHAEFFLER ROMANIA  | Donation of technological system in the activity of plastic surgery, reconstructive microsurgery and burns of the Brașov County Emergency Clinical Hospital.
• STAR TRANSMISSION & STAR ASSEMBLY  |  2 million euros sponsorship for CSR projects in 2021, including 600,000 euros for hydrotherapy area of the first National Pediatric Center in Romania – The Maria Beatrice Center  in Alba Iulia

TIER 1 SUPPLIER EXCELLENCE AWARD

This award recognizes, once again, the excellency international standard for quality management systems in automotive industry – a certification received from one of the company’s main customers. Their certification also confirms that the workflow standards are at the highest level, in accordance with the development strategy, as well as the needs of the market in which they operate.

The award goes to ROMBAT.

Finalists:

• CONTINENTAL  |  15 years of activity of the R&D center in Iași and investment of 8 million euros.
• BOSCH GROUP IN ROMANIA   | The launch of third production hall at Cluj with 55 million euros
• LEONI  |  The transfer of people from factories in Ukraine and enablement of continuing activities
• out of danger areas. 
• ROMBAT  | The Q1 Ford Supplier certification for the high quality service standards
• MARTUR FOMPAK INTERNATIONAL   |  The production of car sets for DACIA and zero customer complains as supplier

EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR

This awarded company at this category has 8.800 employees in Romania with almost 8 per cent growth year on year. The fact that they receive +60.000 applications yearly, a growth of 34 per cent year on year, justifies the claim that this company is among the most appreciated employers in Romania. They also say that they have been the 2nd Most Desired Employer in the automotive industry for 4 consecutive years.

For this and many more, The Employer of the Year in 2022 is BOSCH GROUP IN ROMANIA.    

Finalists:

• INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES  | The Development Center in Bucharest with 500 R&D engineers, Infineon’s largest R&D centers in Europe
• CONTINENTAL  | Plus 17.500 employees in Romania with a third of them working in the R&D Centers
• BOSCH GROUP IN ROMANIA | 8.800 employees  and 7,7% growth compare to 2020
• VITESC0 TECHNOLOGIES ROMANIA  |  3.000 employees in Romania and 3 engineering centers at Iasi, Sibiu, and Timisoara
• LEONI  |  The transfer of employees from factories in Ukraine and enablement of their continuing activities out of danger areas.

CEO OF THE YEAR

The winner of this category is the one that coordinated the investigation of over 2 billion euro in Romanian operations in the time frame 1999 – 2021 in buildings, equipment, technologies, community and the development of people. In 2021 only, the company invested approximately 150 million euro  in Romania and for 2022, has planned investments of comparable value. Last but not least, this CEO is constantly involved in various business partnerships, associations, working groups, for creating impact not only for the best of the company, but also for the best of the automotive industry and the entire society.

The CEO of the Year in 2022 is Dr. CHRISTIAN VON ALBRICHSFELD, Head of Country, Continental Romania.

COMPANY OF THE YEAR

This award that completes this evening’s Gala goes to a company that has marked a major endeavor this year. The process has been complex and it leverages on a strategic partnership to make the most efficient use of existing resources through joint investment.

It is the second award this evening for FORD OTOSAN CRAIOVA and well-deserved also, as THE COMPANY OF THE YEAR. We invite the representatives of Ford Otosan to take over the ownership of the award.       

Finalists:

• NXP SEMICONDUCTORS ROMANIA
• INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES
• LEONI
• DACIA
• FORD OTOSAN CRAIOVA
• CONTINENTAL ROMANIA
• BOSCH GROUP IN ROMANIA                                           

ECO-SMART BRAND OF THE YEAR

This award is dedicated to an innovation lab on wheels. Is being developed by one of the most loved and appreciated automotive brands in Romania and it implies the development of a full-electric off-roader, meant to be a “living lab” to showcase ideas for future production models as well as reinforce the brand’s core messages of affordability and sustainability. It it fresh and has just been presented to public to Paris auto show in October.

The award goes to DACIA for Manifesto concept, the full-electric off-roader, the “living lab” to showcase ideas for future production models.

LEADERSHIP IN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY AWARD

The award has been offered to acknowledge the constant and insightful input in the automotive industry in Romania, as well as to appreciate the know-how and expertise in connecting people and generating resourceful ideas for the industry evolution. 

The leadership award goes to ADRIAN SANDU, Secretary General, Member of the Board, ACAROM.

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