Continental representatives have told BNS that the first production line in the Kaunas Free Economic Zone (FEZ) will come online on Thursday.
The German manufacturer plans to invest 95 million euros in the Kaunas factory – the largest investment in Lithuania's manufacturing industry in 20 years - and to create 1,000 new jobs within five years.
The company currently employs 170 people in Lithuania, according to data from the state social insurance fund Sondra.
Construction on the factory began in July 2018. It will manufacture passenger safety and smart driver assistance systems, including door and seat control units, gateways and intelligent glass control units as well as radar sensors for comfort functions such as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and safety functions such as Emergency Brake Assist (EBA).
Continental also plans to build a gas cogeneration plant by mid-2021. The project is expected to create another 136 jobs.