Automotive Today reveals the winners of the Automotive Industry Awards for Excellence Gala 2023

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 6th edition! As every year, the event celebrated excellence in the automotive industry and the impressive achievements of the winners at the Crowne Plaza 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 Romania and Bosch Romania, Gold Partners Infineon Technologies Romania & CO. SCS, Deloitte, MET Energy Romania, Klarwin, KUKA, Leoni Wiring Systems, Magna Exteriors Craiova, ISITEC, Partners Rombat, Continental, Schaeffler, Lovering & Partners Business Consultants, Supporting Institutions FIC, InvestRomania, AHK Romania, BRCC, CCIFER, Concordia, 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, Andrea Muntari, Risk Advisory 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, Counselor for the Minister of Education, 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 2023:

INNOVATION AWARD

This award is for a software solution which requires high performance and networking capabilities to meet the processing requirements and high-bandwidth vehicle data usage for services. 

Examples of services include vehicle health monitoring or prognostics, vehicle-wide OTA updates, edge data analytics and car sharing support, with many new services expected in the future. 

These services can transform the automotive industry by providing disruptive opportunities that generate new revenue streams for automakers, enhance safety and security, improve user experiences, and reduce costs.

The award for innovation goes to NXP Semiconductors Romania.

Finalists: Continental Romania, Infineon Technologies, NXP Semiconductors Romania, OxidOS Automotive, Schaeffler Romania

GREEN MOBILITY AWARD 

The winner of this category is an electrification pioneer, which offers propulsion solutions for all types of electrified vehicles based on a long-standing expertise in powertrain systems, ranging from stand-alone components to intelligent operating strategies and full turn-key systems.

This company was among the first suppliers to launch an electric high-voltage (HV) axle drive with integrated power electronics and reducer, into volume series production at the end of 2019. This launch was the result of twelve years of high-voltage technology development. As early as 2007, they began the development of the powertrain for the first generation of the Renault Zoe and has been advancing HV propulsion technology ever since.

This award goes to Vitesco Technologies Romania.

Finalists: ABB Romania, Infineon Technologies, NewCar4Future, NXP Semiconductors Romania, Star Assembly, Vitesco Technologies Romania.

TECHNOLOGY PROVIDER OF THE YEAR   

The winner of this category is committed to making life better by using technological advances and developing innovations that provide solutions to the major challenges of our time.

For example, it offers innovative solutions for hydrogen technologies, battery technologies, automated driving, electrification, and many more areas of interest.

The award for Technology Provider of the Year goes to the Bosch Group in Romania.

Finalists: AROBS Transilvania Software, Bosch, Continental Romania, NXP Semiconductors Romania, OxidOS Automotive, P3&Renault.

COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR         

This award is for a partnership between three very important players on the local automotive industry. The three companies will develop investments in chips, with funding from National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The total funding granted amounts to 420 million euro. Alongside the companies, 24 entities from academic world and small and medium enterprises (indirect participants) are also involved.

The award goes to Continental Romania, Bosch Group In Romania & NXP Semiconductors Romania.

EDUCATION COMMITMENT AWARD       

This award is for a company with an unwavering commitment to investing in education. In 2005, this company has planted the seeds for building partnerships for education with the strongest Romanian technical universities. It has grown to become one of the strongest semiconductor company in Romania. The company has partnerships with the top technical universities in Romania: University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca and the Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi.

The winner is Infineon Technologies Romania.

Finalists: Bosch, Draxlmaier, Infineon Technologies, KUKA Romania, Leoni Wiring Systems, Renault Group Romania, Schaeffler Romania.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE INDUSTRY AWARD       

This award is for the company that created 1,300 new jobs at the vehicle and engine factory in Craiova. This is the company’s first major local hiring campaign since the plant’s ownership transfer was completed in July 2022.

The new jobs are needed to support the future development of production in Craiova, where production capacity will increase from 250,000 vehicles per year to 272,000 vehicles per year. The company mainly employs production operators as well as engineering, maintenance and finance experts. The award goes to Ford Otosan Romania.

Finalists: Continental Romania, Ford Otosan Romania, Hella Romania, Leoni Romania, Schaeffler Romania, Vitesco Technologies Romania

INVESTMENT PROJECT OF THE YEAR

The winner of this category is a company which will invest 490 million Euro over the next three years to develop the car production at its Craiova plant. This company recently started the production of two new models in Craiova and other vehicles will follow in 2024.

This award goes to Ford Otosan Romania.

Finalists: Continental Romania, Ford Otosan Romania, Gestamp Beycelik Romania, Infineon Technologies, Leoni Romania, OxidOS Automotive, Schaeffler Romania, Vitesco Technologies Romania.

SUSTAINABILITY AWARD   

The winner of this category is a supplier for Dacia, Ford and Renault. They have been supplying products for Dacia since 1996. The company is focusing on reducing electricity usage by investing in a 1 MW photovoltaic park in Copsa Mica, where it operates a recycling center for used batteries and another one of 4,2 MW in Bistrita where the production plants are.

This award goes to Rombat.

Finalists: Bosch, BorgWarner Romania, Magna Exteriors Craiova, Rombat, Schaeffler Romania, Vitesco Technologies Romania.

CSR AWARD

This award is for a company with numerous CSR actions in the last couple of years, such as helping Ukrainian refugees, raising money for people in need through the Wings for Life project, planting trees, or organizing national cleaning days with the help of its employees and their family members.

The award goes to Plastic Omnium Auto Inergy Romania.

Finalists: BorgWarner Romania, Continental Romania, Bosch, Dacia, Groupe Renault Romania, Magna Exteriors Craiova, Plastic Omnium Auto Inergy Romania.

TIER 1 SUPPLIER EXCELLENCE AWARD

The winner of this category is a global provider of products, solutions and services for energy and data management in the automotive industry. It started its operations in Romania in 1999, with the Arad production site. Currently, it has a team of more than 12,000 active employees and is operating 10 production sites in six counties: Arad, Arges, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Gorj and Mures. In 2022, the consolidated turnover of all its entities in Romania was approximately 652 million Euro.

This award goes to LEONI Wiring Systems Romania.

Finalists: Gestamp Beycelik Romania, Leoni Wiring Systems Romania, NXP Semiconductors Romania, Plastic Omnium Auto Inergy Romania, Rombat, Schaeffler Romania.

TIER 2 SUPPLIER EXCELLENCE AWARD    

This award goes to a company with a strong focus on software solutions for automotive and secure connected edge. In May 2023 this company has opened its second R&D Center in Sibiu, and it is fully committed to the global CASE trends (connected, autonomous, shared, electric) with proven and state of the art technologies.

The winner is NXP Semiconductors Romania.

Finalists: Infineon Technologies Romania, Nvidia, NXP Semiconductors Romania, P3 Digital Services, Qualcomm.

EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR   

With more than 19.000 employees in Romania, the winner of this category is among the largest employers in the country. A third of them are engineers and IT specialists shaping the future of mobility, others occupy non-technical, administrative and production specific positions.

The company is highly involved, already since 2000 when the company started its activity in Timisoara, in the collaboration with the universities and the dual vocational schools, having strong strategic partnerships with top educational institutions in more than 15 cities.

This award goes to Continental Romania.

Finalists: Adient, AROBS Transilvania Software, Bosch, Continental Romania, Ford Otosan Romania, NXP Semiconductors Romania, Renault Group Romania, Schaeffler Romania.

EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGY AWARD (awarded by Automotive Today)  

The winner of this award has introduced an innovative Automated TIG Welding Robot, revolutionizing the welding of large bearings, with a particular focus on safety and quality.

The core strength of this innovation lies in its pivotal role within the production process. It significantly eases the workload of welders while mitigating risks, thus enhancing safety. In summary, the introduction of the Automated TIG Welding Robot signifies an exceptional leap in safety and efficiency for welding large bearings.

The award goes to Schaeffler Romania.

E-MOBILITY START UP OF THE YEAR (awarded by Automotive Today)

This award is for a start-up that created and developed the first electric car in Cluj-Napoca, aiming to test the limits of technology and innovation in the green mobility industry. The start-up will produce only five exclusive cars.

The prototype is currently functional, with only a few final steps to check (namely, the finishing component and homologation). The car has an estimated range of 350 km and reaches a maximum speed of 210 km/h. The batteries are Romanian and power two electric motors in the rear wheels.

The winner of this category is NewCar4Future.

BUSINESS EMPOWERING AWARD (awarded by Automotive Today)

Being part of The Romanian Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade, the winner of this category is the government body dedicated to providing professional support and advice to foreign investors in Romania. Its main goal is to attract and facilitate inward Foreign Direct Investments into the country.

Whether it’s about opening a new office or an entire manufacturing facility, expert advice and support services are offered free of charge to organizations wishing to come to Romania.

This award goes to InvestRomania.

EMPLOYER INITIATIVE AWARD (awarded by Automotive Today)

This award goes to a company which created a summer camp to offer the employees’ children the experience of spending more time outdoors (hiking, survival skills, daily yoga, daily reflection time). In the summer of 2023, the 3rd Annual Summer Camp for Employees’ Children was organized and 47 children attended.

This award goes to Magna Exteriors Craiova.

CEO OF THE YEAR

The winner of this category leads one of the largest employers in the country. In the last two decades, the company has invested over 2 billion euros in its activities in Romania. All three fields of activity of the company are represented in Romania. The company owns six production units and four engineering centers in Timisoara, Sibiu, Carei, Nadab and Iasi.

The 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 is Dr. Christian Von Albrichsfeld, Head of Country, Continental Romania.

COMPANY OF THE YEAR

This award goes to the largest car manufacturer in Romania. The company recently a production of seven million cars at the plant in Mioveni. Inaugurated in August 1968, the Mioveni plant has produced six generations of models over time, starting with the Dacia 1100.

Launched in 2010, the Duster SUV has the largest production in the history of the plant, with about two million units.

The company of the year is Dacia.

Finalists: AROBS Transilvania Software, Bosch, Continental Romania, Dacia, Ford Otosan Romania, Gestamp Beycelik Romania, Leoni Wiring Systems Romania, Schaeffler Romania

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