Renault’s RTR Starts Technical Center Construction Works S Romania

The project, estimated at over EUR450 million, is scheduled to be finalized late 2009, RTR officials said.

The center will complete the activity of Renault’s technical centers in France, in Aubevoye and Lardy.

Established in June 2006, RTR is Renault’s biggest engineering facility outside France.

In May and June 2008, the French carmaker also opened its design center Renault Design Central Europe and its training center in the capital city, Bucharest.

Attending the ceremony of starting the works, Romanian Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu said that Renault’s investment is the most important industrial project in Romania.

The construction of the technical center will trigger the hiring of 3,000 engineers working for the development of new Renault products, the PM said.

The carmaker’s investments in Romania currently total EUR1.4 billion and will reach EUR2 billion in the next years, creating 22,500 new jobs in the auto sector, the PM said.

Tariceanu said Romanian authorities will support Renault to finish the technical center project and also to develop its future investments in the local car industry.