In addition to manufacturing capabilities and an R&D centre, HELLA, a global manufacturer of lights and electronic components for cars, is now building a state-of-the-art testing laboratory in the Ostrava region. The lab will be located at CTPark Ostrava Hrabová, where advanced machines will be simulating the real-life operating environment of HELLA products throughout their entire life cycle.
“Back when we were building our R&D centre, we’d already chosen Ostrava for its strong tradition of technical education and talented people who have the will to transform the region into an innovation centre. The new laboratory will be used by our R&D centre for testing products that will then go straight from our production plants to car manufacturers throughout Europe to be used in their latest models,” says Karel Bill, Development Director of Hella Autotechnik Nova. “In our search for a suitable space, we focused on location, of course, but also on the building owner’s ability to build a lab that would meet all our demanding requirements as well as on their general approach to innovation and sustainability,” added Bill.
“CTP builds modern industrial premises of the highest standard. They are versatile and suitable for any kind of business, including the establishment of sophisticated facilities such as the HELLA laboratory. In this particular case, we also had to arrange for the alteration and construction of internal equipment in cooperation with the contractors in record time. We were successful and the first stage of the project has been handed over for use. We plan to complete the second stage at the turn of the year,” says Vojtěch Peřka, who is responsible for the Moravian-Silesian region at CTP. “Our environmental awareness also played a role; CTP’s carbon neutrality will help HELLA on their own journey. The company wants to reach its environmental goal as early as 2025,” added Peřka.
The Ostrava lab will test HELLA products from Czech as well as German and other European plants. Sophisticated equipment will simulate real-life conditions typical for the life cycle of automotive lights and evaluate their performance. The testing will also include an assessment of product compliance with applicable legislation.
The HELLA laboratory is the company's latest venture since its launch in the Czech Republic in 1993. HELLA has several locations in the country, including an R&D centre and production plant in Mohelnice in the Olomouc region. In 2012, the company set up an R&D centre in Ostrava, where 100 engineers work on the development of exterior lights for the latest European car models. It is the Ostrava centre which will be complemented by the new lab.
HELLA in the Ostrava region has a long-standing cooperation with local communities and universities, sending its experts to university courses as guest teachers and providing internships and training for students.
