Petru Demian

Current Megatrends in Automotive Industry and Its Effects on Vehicle Architecture

Dr. Petru Demian

Continental Automotive Timișoara

ABSTRACT:

Dr. Petru Demian holds a Ph.D. in Electronic and Telecommunication (2004) from the Technical University of Timișoara, with his dissertation focused on “Optimizing testing methods for numeric electronic equipment.”

Professional Experience:

• 2023 – Present: EU Projects Development Manager & IPCEI Project Manager, Continental Automotive Timișoara. Responsible for developing European Union projects and managing the “Important Projects of Common European Interest” (IPCEI) initiative. This large-scale EU collaboration involves direct and indirect partners, aiming to advance microelectronic capabilities within Continental and its ecosystem, including partnerships with 8 Romanian universities and 3 industrial partners.
• 2018 – 2023: Facilities Management (FM) & Special Projects Manager, Continental Automotive Timișoara. Key achievements include:
  • Established and developed the FM factory team, leading over 20 improvement projects.
  • Served as WW Energy Manager, coordinating energy and CO2 reduction programs resulting in a 20% energy reduction.
  • Successfully managed the CHP (Combined Heat and Power) implementation project in Continental Timișoara, achieving approximately 92% energy efficiency (awarded at the Automotive Awarding Gala 2020).
  • Led the successful submission and approval process for EU IPCEI microelectronic project funding from the EU and the Romanian Government.
  • Secured additional EU project approval for the “Digital Twin” initiative (SW-advanced logistics, August 2023).
  • Drove the implementation of FM Industry 4.0, a software platform monitoring over 2000 parameters of the plant’s FM infrastructure.
  • Managed the EU ZDMP (Zero Defect Manufacturing Platform) project within Continental.
  • Collaborated with the Electronic and Automatic University of Timișoara on two research grants.
  • Contributed to updating the Automotive Embedded master’s curriculum at the university.
• 2006 – 2018: Industrial Engineering Manager, Continental Timișoara Plant. Oversaw SW tools and databases for production, production equipment, test equipment, and process development. Key accomplishments include:
  • Established the Industrial Engineering department and its activities, building local competence, teams, and leaders for Software & Test for Production, Production Technologies, and Production Engineering.
  • Contributed to the implementation of Industry 4.0 initiatives, including AGVs, cobots, production databases, and smart devices.
  • Collaborated with the University on projects involving cobots and smart devices, including activities, trainings, and team collaborations.
• 2000 – 2006: SW Development Team Manager, Continental Company. Managed software development teams for international projects, including:
  • Initiated and developed various software teams (Software team, Customer Segment, and Production SW Engineering teams).
  • Led the implementation of multiple Core Software modules and functionalities for instrument clusters and displays.
  • Spearheaded the development of multiple Basic Software Modules (communication protocols, memory handling, scheduler, boot concept).
• 1992 – 2000: Assistant/Junior Lecturer, Technical University of Timișoara. Taught courses and laboratories in Numeric Circuits, Microcontrollers, and Industrial Testing. Simultaneously worked on SW development and testing projects for complex airplane units for Boeing 777 through the local Rada/Timtech branch.