Unless the emphasis is placed on a specific group sector, the opportunities apply to all group sectors.
There are opportunities for Continental if the economy performs better than anticipated.
If the economy in our major sales regions develops better than anticipated, we expect that demand for vehicles, replacement tires and industrial products will also develop better than we have anticipated. Due to the increased demand for Continental’s products among vehicle manufacturers and industrial clients and in the replacement business that would be expected as a consequence, our sales could rise more significantly than expected and there could be positive effects with regard to fixed cost coverage. Particular importance is attached to the European market due to the high share of sales that Continental generates in this region (50%).
There are opportunities for Continental if prices fall on the raw materials markets relevant to us.
Continental’s earnings situation is affected to a significant extent by the cost of raw materials, electronic components, logistics and energy. For Automotive, this particularly relates to the cost of electronic components as well as metals and plastics. The earnings situation of Tires and ContiTech is significantly impacted by the cost of oil and of natural and synthetic rubber. If prices for natural and synthetic rubber in particular decline, this could have a positive impact on Continental’s earnings, provided sales prices for rubber products remain stable.
The trend toward automated and autonomous driving presents Continental with opportunities.
The trend from assisted driving to automated and autonomous driving is set to continue. Several vehicle manufacturers plan to offer new models with partially automated “Level 2+” and “Level 3” functions over the next few years. A key requirement for partially automated driving is that vehicles are equipped with sensors. To date, between two and seven sensors for assisted driving have been installed per vehicle, depending on their equipment features. Even for partially automated driving, considerably more and also higher-quality radar, camera and LiDAR sensors are required, depending on the scope of the functionality. Since Continental is one of the leading providers of advanced driver assistance systems, the increasing volume of sensors, electronic control units and new software could result in considerable sales and earnings opportunities for the Automotive group sector. Further opportunities are being created for autonomous driving in the commercial vehicle sector in Level 4. Together with its strategic partner Aurora, Continental is working on a scalable solution that could lead to recurring sales and earnings opportunities throughout a truck’s entire service life.
There are opportunities for Continental from strategic partnerships, particularly in the Automotive group sector.
Continental is increasingly focusing on strategic partnerships in order to shape the transformation in the automotive sector as efficiently as possible. Examples of this include the strategic partnerships with the technology companies Ambarella and Aurora. Such partnerships allow the companies involved to contribute their expertise and optimize research and development costs, for example. In addition, the strengths of each company can help ensure a higher level of innovation and agility when launching products. Cost optimization and an improved competitive position – thanks to faster time to market, for example – present Continental with opportunities.
The digitalization of vehicles and the services generated as a result present Continental with opportunities.
The massive amounts of data generated by driver assistance systems and driver information systems as well as the immediate processing of this data in vehicles require switching the vehicle architecture to the most cutting-edge high-performance computers. This – together with the new software solutions required for this purpose – results in substantial growth potential for Continental with positive effects on its future sales and attainable margins (e.g. Continental Holistic Motion Control software and Smart Cockpit high-performance computer (HPC); see the Research and Development section). Furthermore, the increasing digitalization of our products gives us the opportunity to offer our customers software-based services and regular software updates in addition to the product itself, and to open up new markets for mobility services.
There are opportunities for Continental from the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI).
Continental is working on a large number of AI solutions across all group sectors. Some solutions have already been successfully implemented. First, this relates to the products and services customers acquire from Continental. Additionally, it covers solutions that are used within our business areas and central functions. If greater use is made of AI, this could help to further optimize internal processes and increase efficiency. This, in turn, could have a positive impact on earnings. Parallel to this, factors such as faster time to market for our customers can also create opportunities for growth.
Innovations for vehicle interiors present Continental with opportunities.
More and more new products are being used in car manufacturing to optimize interaction between driver and vehicle. For the user experience of the future, Continental has developed countless innovations such as curved digital 3D displays and temporarily hidden displays. With customer-specific solutions for interior sensor technology and surfaces, Continental is also increasing safety and ease of use within the vehicle (e.g. Invisible Biometrics Sensing Display; see the Research and Development section). Since intelligent concepts for new experiences in the vehicle interior are becoming more and more important for car buyers, and Continental is one of the leading providers of these, increasing demand among car manufacturers could result in considerable sales and earnings opportunities.
The tire business presents Continental with opportunities.
Continental intends to further increase its market share in the growth markets of Asia and North America in particular. In the passenger-car tire segment, the global business with tires for electric mobility and ultra-high-performance tires is to be systematically expanded. The truck and bus tire business is to be further developed in all regions through Conti360˚ fleet services. Continental’s specialty tire business, which includes not only two-wheel and racing tires but also tires for a variety of industrial applications, is expected to see additional growth as well. Smart, digital tire solutions, such as the latest ContiConnect generation of sensors, will also make a contribution to ambitious sustainability goals and differentiation in the market. The market launch of the Conti EfficientPro 5 original-equipment tire for trucks and buses is one example of this (see the Research and Development section). In the area of service-based digital solutions, the Tires group sector of Continental aims to become the leading supplier worldwide by 2030. If Continental succeeds in increasing its market share in high-growth segments and in digital solutions and services even more than planned, this is likely to have positive effects on its sales and earnings.
Greater focus on the industrial business presents Continental with opportunities.
With a possible sale of the Original Equipment Solutions (OESL) business area, the ContiTech group sector is planning to focus on, and in turn strengthen, its profitable industrial business. Growth potential in the industrial business results primarily from the increasing demand for sustainable as well as digital and intelligent solutions. In this regard, the ContiTech group sector draws on its long-standing and detailed knowledge of the industry and materials to open up new business opportunities. This involves combining a wide range of materials with electronic components and individual services. Continental is also showcasing how sustainable surface solutions can be used in vehicle interiors (e.g. materials such as Xpreshn; see the Research and Development section). If these new products become established more quickly than planned, this would create corresponding sales and earnings opportunities for Continental.
There are opportunities for Continental from changes in the legal framework.
Legal regulations with the aim of further improving traffic safety provide an opportunity for rising demand for Continental’s products. Based on our broad product portfolio for active vehicle safety, we have developed a wide range of advanced safety systems in recent years. Further volume growth is expected as a result of more stringent requirements in various regional safety tests, since an increasing number of safety systems have been recognized as having achieved the very highest level of safety. In addition, more and more legal requirements in individual countries are being expanded to include active safety systems.
