Varroc Lighting Systems opens new R&D centre in Poland

Varroc Lighting Systems inaugurated its new R&D office in Krakow, Poland, which the company says is its second largest investment in the country Poland in recent months, following the announcement of a manufacturing plant in Niemce, which is scheduled to open in the Q3 of 2019. 

Commenting on the update, Stephane Vedie, president and CEO, Varroc Lighting Systems, said: “The opening of this new R&D centre continues our plan of strategic global growth. We have a best-in-class footprint in terms of both development and production, and this location will help us maintain our competitive advantage.” 

According to Todd Morgan, senior vice-president, Product Development for Varroc Lighting Systems, the location will help the company meet the needs of a rapidly changing industry. “As the automotive lighting industry changes and technology becomes more complex, it is critical that we continue to expand our engineering capacity and capability,” said Morgan.

“This location will allow us to further develop leading edge products for our customers. Lighting is rapidly evolving into a complex electronic component on the vehicle. Mechanical and optical engineering will continue to play an important role in our development, however, we are aggressively looking to expand our capability in electronic hardware and software design. Our strategy is to integrate ADAS sensors into our products and this will only accelerate this trend to support the needs of tomorrow’s autonomous and electric vehicles,” added Morgan. 

The new facility is spread across 1,325 square metres, with a capacity of over 100 workplaces and will be responsible for developing all types of automotive lighting technologies available in Varroc’s portfolio – from standard halogen lamps up to the most advanced matrix and laser lamps. In addition there will also be an engineering centre that will include optics, electronics, and mechanics departments. The office will also serve as a hub of for company’s global purchasing function and will include other administrative departments such as IT, HR, and Finance. 

In addition the company also plans to establish a strong cooperation and partnerships with AGH University of Science and Technology and Krakow University of Technology. 

 “We are continuously looking for engineers at all levels. Varroc’s objective is to establish a link between the needs of the business and the support we can give as a company to the students and universities. We definitely see Krakow providing an environment to promote innovation,” added Morgan.