• Continental challenges students to creativity in the automotive field from March 6 to 8 during the Best Engineering Competition in Budapest
• Successful collaboration with BEST and university milieu in Hungary continue
  

Budapest, March 8, 2010. Continental, one of the leading suppliers of the automotive industry continues the successful collaboration with BEST - Board of European Students of Tech­nology - in Hungary and challenges the students from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics to a “Best Engineering Competition”. Forty students in ten teams will solve a practical assignment in the automotive field and convince the jury with engineering know-how and as much creativity as possible, that they are the “BEST”. The jury members are: Dapsy Zoltán – university ambassador, Dr. Róbert Keszte - EBS Focus factory leader, Nóra Tóth - project leader from Continental; Dvorszki László - Director of International Affairs, Dr. Botond Kővári - Faculty of Transportation Engineering Department of Transport Economics, Tamás Hurtony - Department of Electronics Technology representing the Budapest Univer­sity of Technology and Economics and Péter Karkus from BEST Budapest. The winning team will be announced on March 8.

“This is an excellent opportunity for the students to put their theoretical knowledge and prac­tical abilities to the test”, highlights Luc Quisthoudt, the plant manager of Continental Au­tomotive in Budapest, the exclusive partner of the competition. The task for the ten teams is: to design and build an electronically controlled ‘small car’ which is able to stop on a slope and take ‘sharp’ bends. “For us, the students, is important to have the possibility to see practically what technology is all about. Our target is to enforce the collaboration between students and the economic environment”, declares Bálint Pogátsa, President of BEST in Budapest. The winners of the competition will receive the Best Engineering Competition Award and will have the possibility to join a six month internship program at Continental in Budapest. Additionally, they will win tickets to the festivals: Sziget 2010 in Budapest and VOLT 2010 in Sopron.

Best Engineering Competition – Budapest, Hungary: Jury from Continental and the University of Technology and Economics evaluate the results of the competing teams.

Continental is a partner of BEST in Hungary since 2009. Continental is engaged in significant technology and product development activities in Hungary. In addition, Continental has successful co-operation agreements with the major universities in Hungary: Budapest University of Technology and Economics, University of Óbuda, University of Miskolc.

The automotive plant in Budapest is part of Continental since 2002. With activities for the automotive divisions: Chassis & Safety, Powertrain and Interior, the plant is engaged with a high level of competence in almost all areas of vehicle electronics. The plant manufactures vehicle electronic components and microelectronic circuit modules, such as oil sensors, various comfort and chassis electronic elements, as well as brake systems, electronic control units for electronic stability systems and hybrid drive systems. The plant has at present around 1,000 employees.