Key speakers such as Francois Stouvenot, CCO and VP as well as GM EMEA at Yanfeng, Elmar Dieken, Executive Engineering Director EMEA, Patrik Žák, Deputy Mayor of the City of Trenčín and Marta Kianicová, Dean of Faculty of Special Technics, Trenčín University as well as Ivan Kebísek, Engineering Director and Site Leader, looked back and highlighted the remarkable development the Test Center took during these years and the great difference Yanfeng’s employees and company spirit and culture made, and how the site, the region and its university landscape positively inspire each other in their speeches, before its guests were able to experience modern testing capabilities first hand during a guided tour through the Technical Center.

Farsighted investments and a good team spirit

Back in 2004, when the Center was opened under the flag of Johnson Controls, it already was one of the largest Technology Centers in Slovakia's automotive industry. When Yanfeng took over in 2015, the company saw the demand and opportunities with its customers and invested in new testing equipment for several million Euros. First for the interior business segment in 2017 and just recently with investments in facilities and equipment for its safety business segment. Yanfeng thereby has been strengthening its R&D and testing capabilities for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and made Trenčín to one of two major European research and development sites in Yanfeng’s global engineering network.

"The Technical Center with its state-of-the-art facilities and dedicated employees is a testament to innovation and growth in the region," said Yanfeng's CCO and VP and GM EMEA Francois Stouvenot at the event. "We are proud of the Center's achievements over the past 20 years and look forward to further expand the range of products being tested and further developed in Trenčín in the years to come."

Many of the employees from the early days work and strive there until today and their numbers have risen from around 60 to over 180 passionate people in the meanwhile. One great example is Daniela Bystricka, who celebrates her own 20th anniversary as well. She was born in Trenčín, went to Trenčín University and found promising career opportunities here at the Tech Center, where she leads the Engineering Operations and Systems division today. She explained: "I like that Yanfeng provides the opportunities for career growth, for doing different things, for involvement in the activities of different projects – if you do your best, you see the results." Engineering Director and Site Leader Ivan Kebísek added: "It's people like Daniela and many others who always create a great environment in which colleagues become friends, and challenges become wins. Ultimately, these people and the investments have made the Tech Center what it is today. We sincerely thank all our teams for this." Both Deputy Mayor Patrik Zak and Marta Kianicová of Trenčín University highlighted the positive impact of Yanfeng's Technical Center on the city and the economic landscape by providing attractive career paths and enriching the educational experience for future professionals.

Strong footprint in Slovakia and the rest of Eastern Europe

The departments at the Trenčín Technical Center include product development, benchmarking, engineering systems, subject matter technical experts (SMTE), testing and other supporting functions essential for engineering. Today’s testing capabilities in Trenčín include a Test lab for Interiors and Safety systems. The lab is performing environmental, durability, material and functional tests including airbag deployment tests. . The Technical Center also conducts environmental compliance analyzes and product carbon footprint calculations, where the company performs lifecycle assessments of all products – starting from the raw material to the end of life including recycling. With this wide range of R&D capabilities, the Center supports the company’s growth plans in the European region. 

In addition to the Technical Center in Trenčín, Yanfeng operates a plant in Námestovo, where door panels, consoles and other components for vehicle interiors are manufactured. The company has an Automotive Business Center in Bratislava with finance, IT, purchasing, sales, human resources and project management departments. With existing production facilities in Pápa (Hungary), Žatec (Czech Republic) and Planá nad Lužnicí (Czech Republic) as well as two plants in Kragujevac (Serbia), Yanfeng is well positioned to fulfil all customer wishes in the region.