ZF Friedrichshafen AG (ZF), a €36.5-billion global technology company that supplies systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology, is upbeat on India tech operations which play a critical role in development of its next generation mobility platforms. The India development centres, including the four-year Hyderabad facility, are playing a critical role in development of next generation platforms, solutions and middleware for the company’s global operations and supplies. Dirk Adamczyk, Senior Vice-President, Engineering Services, Innovation, Technology, ZF Group, and Krishnaswamy Jambunathan, Head Tech Centre, India, explain how ZF is consolidating its India presence. Excerpts:

 

The global mobility sector is in for a major transition. How is ZF seeking to address this transition?

Mega trends like digitalisation are changing the mobility industry faster than expected. We have developed our ‘Next Generation Mobility’ strategy. It defines our goal of a clean and safe mobility. We are active in four technology fields: Vehicle Motion Control, Integrated Safety, Electric Mobility and Automated Driving.

Digitalisation and the Internet of Things (IoT) enable us to use our technologies not only in all mobility applications, but also in industrial technology.

Early 2021, ZF established the new Electrified Powertrain Technology Division that bundles conventional, hybrid and purely electric drive technologies for passenger cars.

In May 2020, ZF acquired WABCO and the integration process is well underway. Software and central computers have become new fields of business. ZF’s long-term strategic alignment will now be further accelerated in the areas of electronics, software and autonomous driving.

For the first time, ZF also offers software products that customers can purchase independently of the hardware. ZF has founded a Global Software Center to accelerate the development of software solutions and to turn data-based products and services into profitable business models.

Electric mobility is expected to gain popularity much faster than most anticipate. What are your plans for this segment?

At the beginning of 2021, ZF established the new Electrified Powertrain Technology Division that bundles conventional, hybrid and purely electric drive technologies for passenger cars. With this approach, ZF has pushed the transformation to e-mobility. The core of the product range is the inverter as a central component of the power electronics. In this segment, we want to become the market leader in Europe and a top global supplier. By the end of 2020, ZF has won orders for electric driveline components with a sales volume of €14 billion over the next several years.

Recently, ZF launched Energy Management Systems (EMS) to control the entire flow of energy in the electrified commercial vehicle. With a new EMS software solution, ZF provides another attractive proposal for the commercial vehicle market.

Apart from electric mobility, which are the new areas ZF is looking at?

We are active in four technology fields: Vehicle Motion Control, Integrated Safety, Electric Mobility and Automated Driving.

Digitalization and the Internet of Things (IoT) enable us to use our technologies not only in all mobility applications, but also in industrial technology.

How has the Indian tech center grown and what are your plans? How is it contributing to ZF global business?

Tech Center plays a critical support role in the area of systems & software development, function control and algorithm development, design and simulation in mechanical engineering,

Mechatronics and Electronics Engineering. It is focusing on software that would amount to 70 per cent of the R&D work and is playing a pivotal role in the development of the autonomous-vehicle technology, electric mobility, ADAS Systems, Vehicle Motion Control and Passive Safety Systems.

ZF TCI is growing at a fast pace and there is a plan to hire more than the 2,500 originally planned for 2021.

What are ZF plans for India?

ZF has been present in the Indian market for more than 6 decades and operates through eight legal entities. Two hundred per cent subsidiaries, five joint venture partners. Recently, WABCO India became part of the ZF Group through a global acquisition. The regional headquarters of the ZF in India is a multi-product facility in Chakan, Pune. Today, with a turnover of over €1.2 billion sales, 37 manufacturing facilities, 8 technical centers catering to mechanical and software design, development and application engineering needs of OEMs and a talented pool of over 20,000 employees, ZF has established itself as a committed and fast-growing systems supplier in this high growth potential region. ZF Aftermarket division provides a wide range of spare parts for product brands SACHS, Lemfoerder, and TRW with strong service support.

We are active in four various technology fields and Digitalization and the Internet of Things (IoT) as also all mobility applications and industrial technology. We are working on ADAS, AI, Advanced Software and are developing platforms, solutions and middleware.

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