The future since 1968

SERVICE PROVIDER TO THE TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY

Valmet Automotive is a trusted partner for contract manufacturing and industrializing future technologies across automotive, defense, and high-tech industrial sectors. We provide end-to-end expertise in advanced manufacturing.

Valmet Automotive has been known as a top-tier service provider in the automotive industry since its establishment in 1968. Over the course of our history, we have manufactured more than 1.9 million vehicles in Uusikaupunki, Finland, for leading industry players such as Mercedes-Benz, Saab, and Porsche. We have also made significant investments in electric mobility since we began manufacturing electric vehicles in 2009.

With over 55 years of experience in high-quality serial production, we turn concepts into scalable manufacturing solutions with speed, precision, and flexibility – helping customers accelerate growth and reduce time-to-market. Flexibility, quality, and cost-efficiency are at the core of our operations. This is why we are a sought-after partner.

Our business area focused on kinematic solutions covers roof and kinematic systems for automotive sector. We have top-level expertise in developing convertible roof systems, active air management systems, and other kinematic solutions. In this field, too, we are a Tier 1 system supplier and one of the world’s leading service providers.

Flexible PARTNER
FOR dynamic needs

Our starting point is the success of our customers. Our role as a strategic partner is based on customer-centricity. A service-oriented approach is a key part of our company culture and customer relationships. Together we make things possible.

Change has been the new normal in the automotive industry for years. The electrification of mobility and the growing importance of related solutions and kinematic systems are evident in the design and implementation of our operations.

The faster the change, the more clearly partners like Valmet Automotive stand out.

Valmet Automotive is an innovative hands-on partner who can address customers’ rapidly changing needs – quickly, flexibly, and expertly.

Volatile markets –
stable foundation

The more volatile a market within the automotive industry is, the more stable the players have to be who want to stand out. With a history of success going back for more than 50 years, with strong shareholders and a future-driven management, Valmet Automotive is standing on secure, stable and smart ground.

Facts & Figures

Key Commitments of
a global player

Our company culture is based on five commitments that represent Valmet Automotive’s optimistic, forward-looking attitude. In recent years, we have worked to create a functional and future-proof, straightforward and genuine corporate culture for our increasingly global operations, where respect is at the center of everything. Get to know the company’s key commitments.

COMMITMENTS

EXPECTATIONS TO US AND OUR SUPPLIERS

Our strong principles and Codes of Conduct for employees, suppliers, and partners support everyday decision-making and constructive collaboration. Reputation, trust, and integrity are the three key pillars on which Valmet Automotive’s success has been built for over 50 years.

Code of Conduct Supplier Code of Conduct

Compliance Channel

Valmet Automotive’s operations are based on honesty and mutual respect. We always comply with the law in our operations and compete in the spirit of fair play. Valmet Automotive provides a Compliance Channel for all employees, partners and stakeholders. Through this channel, it is possible to report to us any suspected misconduct, breach of law or unethical behaviour, affecting people, our organisation, society, or the environment. Reports can be submitted either anonymously or with your own name.

Compliance Channel

Our history.

The history of Valmet Automotive goes back to 1968, in Uusikaupunki, Finland. Here is where the joint venture Saab-Valmet was founded. Just a year later, the first Saab passenger cars left the factory – in such a high manufacturing quality from day one that the doors to the export market quickly opened. A small session in our history …

1969: The first car made under contract vehicle manufacturing, the Saab 96, is delivered. The successful relations with Saab continue nonstop for over 30 years.

1986: Manufacturing of the Saab convertible begins, also marking a story of success like no other: each third vehicle manufactured in Uusikaupunki is a convertible – “designed, engineered and manufactured in Finland.”

1995: The company changes its name to Valmet Automotive. Four years later, the Finnish technology group, Metso, becomes sole owner.

1997: The building of the Porsche Boxster begins in Uusikaupunki, and the Porsche Cayman is added in 2005. The company is growing as fast as both of these German sports cars can drive.

2008: Valmet Automotive consistently focuses its strategy on expanding in the direction of future mobility. The range of engineering services on offer grows bit by bit.

2009: Engineering and manufacturing of the battery-powered city car THINK City. A total of 3,000 units are manufactured.

2010: The Finnish investment companies Pontos Group and Tesi come aboard as shareholders. The strategic goal is to further transform the company toward e-mobility. In 2015, they also purchase the remaining Metso shares.

2010: Valmet Automotive buys out the legendary convertible expert Karmann to become the world’s largest manufacturer of roof systems.

2013: Manufacturing of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class begins on our assembly line in Uusikaupunki, with 200 robots for body in white work alone. Four years later, the GLC is added. Valmet Automotive goes Daimler.

2017: Valmet Automotive and Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL), China’s leading manufacturer of electric vehicle battery cells, begin a strategic partnership. Owners are now Tesi (44,96%), Pontos Group (34,40%),  and CATL (20,64%).

2017: Valmet Automotive takes over the German automobile technology locations of Semcon Automotive. This division is then passed on to Mutares in 2020. The engineering competencies gained in these years have been seamlessly integrated into our development, testing and manufacturing locations.

2019: Valmet Automotive starts up its first own high-volume manufacturing line in Salo, Finland for the series production of batteries. The focus is on high-voltage battery systems with a power output of 400 to planned 800 volts.

2020: Valmet Automotive publishes the company’s first Sustainability Report.

2021: Valmet Automotive begins production at its Uusikaupunki battery plant the company’s second large-scale battery production facility. In the same year, we also introduced our own range of battery products.

2022: As of January 1, 2022, Valmet Automotive Group is carbon neutral in all its own operations, confirmed by DNV.

2022: Valmet Automotive quickly becomes one of the leading European battery system providers for the automotive industry – in 2022, the company reaches the milestone of 1 million delivered battery systems.

2023: Valmet Automotive opens an Innovation Center at the Uusikaupunki car plant to develop, test and pilot solutions for the car plant of the future.

2023: Valmet Automotive goes electric with the opening of its third high-volume battery plant, this time in Kirchardt, Germany.

2023: Valmet Automotive continues to expand its production network and opens its third high-volume battery plant in Kirchardt, Germany. The company reaches the milestone of 2 million battery systems produced and delivered since 2019.

2023: Valmet Automotive strengthens the autonomy of its business lines both in strategy and the operative model. The target is to increase operational flexibility and efficiency to enable business lines meet the challenges and opportunities of the business environment in an optimal way.

2024: Valmet Automotive presents the Energy Pack concept to complement the Modular Battery Platform product family. The novelty reflects the company’s growing focus on electrification of truck, bus, and off-highway segments.

2024: Valmet Automotive spins off its Electric Vehicle Systems (EVS) business into a fully independent company. The new entity, focused on battery solutions, is named IONCOR. Collaboration between Valmet Automotive and IONCOR will continue to thrive.

2025: Expansion of the Valmet Automotive Zary plant completed. Valmet Automotive is one of the largest European manufacturers of convertible roof and kinematic systems, including electric vehicle charging flaps and active spoilers. The roof and kinematic systems production operations are located in Zary, Poland, with a research center in Osnabrück, Germany.

2025: The Finnish State becomes Valmet Automotive’s majority owner (79%), and Pontos Group will continue as a minority owner (21%). As part of an ownership and financing arrangement enabling the strategic expansion, Valmet Automotive sells IONCOR, the company’s subsidiary focused on battery systems.

2025: Valmet Automotive is reshaping its strategy and expanding the business. In the future, the company will offer its special expertise in industrial serial production also to other industries beyond automotive, for example, to the defense sector, where the serial production capabilities acquired over decades are well adapted.

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Our locations

European network for the development and production of future mobility: The Uusikaupunki car plant (MANUFACTURING). Roof and kinematic systems (KINEMATICS) in Osnabrück, Germany and Zary, Poland. Welcome!

Contact

VALMET AUTOMOTIVE

For some of our customers, we may be a new name. For others, we have been a trusted partner for over 55 years. Regardless, both are equally important to us.