New Head of Sustainability for Continental’s Industrial Business

Hanover, Germany, June 3, 2024. Anne Windberg Baarup took over the management of the sustainability department for Continental’s group sector ContiTech on June 1, 2024. She is now responsible for the strategic direction and global management of sustainability activities for the company’s industrial business. In her new position, she reports directly to Claus Peter Spille, head of Operations at ContiTech. Baarup has been working for Continental for eight years in various functions. She has extensive experience in the areas of materials technology, HR and organizational development. Most recently, the 46-year-old was employed as head of Material Technology Solutions for Continental’s tire business, where she actively promoted the research into and implementation of sustainable materials. In addition, Anne Windberg Baarup will drive the further expansion of sustainable production facilities at ContiTech worldwide.

Ambitious goals and concrete steps: focus on material substitution

A central focus of ContiTech’s sustainability strategy is the substitution of conventional materials with more sustainable alternatives. This includes both bio-based and, above all, recycled materials.

Sustainable and recycled materials are already being used in different ContiTech products today, including, for example, the artificial leather skai® VyP Coffee, which is made from coffee grounds reused to produce breathable upholstery fabrics. In addition, ContiTech has developed concepts to increase the proportion of sustainable materials in existing products, such as air springs, and to reduce the CO2 footprint. The company uses sustainable natural rubber, bio-based oils and plasticizers as well as recycled steel bead wires instead of conventional raw materials.

As part of its research and development activities in the field of sustainability, the company collaborates closely with partners along the entire value chain. Continental is currently working with start-ups and university groups from the Innovation Network for Advanced Materials (INAM) to find a rubber alternative that can replace the fossil-based material in the air bellow for air suspension systems in buses, trucks and trains.