Chrysler 2009 Annual Report Download - page 25

THE GROUP
AT A GLANCE
INNOVATING
FOR GROWTH
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INNOVATING FOR GROWTH
With the support of cross-sector research conducted by Centro Ricerche Fiat
and Elasis, all of the Group’s Sectors are investing significant resources in
R&D. The areas of application range from automotive, in the most traditional
sense, to electronics, telematics, information systems, preventive safety and
respect for the environment. Only through this synergistic vision is it possible
to create mobility which has a truly human dimension.
Centro Ricerche Fiat (C.R.F.) is an international centre of excellence in
research. The centre has approximately 800 professionals and collaborates
with over 160 universities and research centres and more than 1,000 industrial
partners worldwide. Actively supporting the technological development of the
Group and its partners for more than 30 years, it boasts a vast array of technical
know-how and a series of state-of-the-art laboratories for testing powertrain
systems, analysing noise and vibrations, conducting driving simulation,
developing new materials and production processes, opto-electronics and
micro-technology. In recent years, research at C.R.F. has concentrated on
solutions for reducing fuel consumption and polluting and noise emissions,
and improving the efficiency, aerodynamics and overall safety of vehicles.
Elasis is one of the largest research centres in Southern Italy and one of
the most advanced engineering companies in the automotive sector. Its
research centres employ approximately 1,200 people and are equipped with
sophisticated design and modelling tools, in addition to some of the most
advanced instruments for physical and virtual testing. The centre conducts
research in several strategic areas: new production methodologies and
processes to reduce time to market; research to enhance vehicle performance,
safety and versatility and reduce environmental impacts; development
of advanced telematic platforms which offer solutions to reducing traffic
congestion. Using the know-how acquired in the automotive area, Elasis also
produces technological solutions for other industrial areas and applications.
The Group’s growth has been driven by the creation of innovative models, utilisation of state-of-the-
art materials, development of technologies which use traditional and alternative fuels, experimentation
with futuristic models, and by studying and anticipating the needs of millions of customers.