Continental Brings Materials and Technology Expertise from the Car to the Kitchen

Hanover, Germany, September 29, 2025. What will the kitchen of the future look like? Just ask Continental and kitchen manufacturer nobilia! The two companies have developed a joint innovation project that will be debuted to international trade visitors at this year’s nobilia in-house exhibition in Verl. Continental’s group sector ContiTech contributes its long-standing expertise in material development and surface technology from the automotive interior and furniture industries, creating new impulses for the kitchen as a modern living space. 

“For many decades, our materials and technologies have shaped modern living spaces – from vehicle interiors to home furniture. With this concept kitchen, we’re showing how our expertise can be transferred to new requirements: for greater functionality, user-oriented design and technology in everyday life,” says Ralf Imbery, head of Design, Marketing and Strategy for Continental’s global surface materials business. “For us, cooperation projects of this kind are an important strategic tool that allow us to test innovations at an early stage and, together with partners, develop new perspectives for future living environments.”

Under the tagline “Evolution of Senses – Feel. Connect. Inspire.,” the jointly developed concept kitchen demonstrates how comfort, safety and design can be reimagined through functional materials and technologies. A key foundation for this is provided by ContiTech’s translucent surface solutions, which, thanks to their light permeability and integration of printed electronics, enable entirely new functionalities. These surfaces form the technological foundation for applications such as wireless smartphone charging, heating and cooling zones for keeping food and drinks warm or cold and touch control panels – all of which remain invisible when not in use and only appear when activated on the countertop.

The potential of surface technology is also evident in the kitchen niche, where a screen is integrated behind a translucent wood-look decorative film, remaining invisible when switched off and only appearing when activated.

The materials employed are durable, easy to maintain and resource-efficient. For example, the artificial leather skai Evida Fiber used on the chairs in the concept kitchen consists of over 90% bio-based and renewable raw materials, such as organic cotton, which serves as the backing fabric and is grown according to certified ecological standards.

“The collaboration with Continental is a real game-changer. It enables us to create intuitive surfaces that respond to the user while at the same time preserving the elegant design of modern kitchens,” says Florian Degenhardt, Head of Innovation at nobilia.

What started as cutting-edge automotive technology at Continental's Automotive group sector - now AUMOVIO SE - has been reimagined for everyday living by AUMOVIO Engineering Solutions. These smart AI features can recognize food, recommend recipes, and provide detailed nutritional insights. They even help keep families safe by warning when water is boiling or alerting you to objects that may be dangerous for children.

Some of the materials and technologies used are already production-ready, while others are still at the prototype stage. However, they provide a concrete preview of future applications and design possibilities for home spaces.

The concept kitchen will remain on view for trade visitors at nobilia’s in-house exhibition until September 30, 2025. Further information is available at: www.nobilia.de/hausmesse-2025. As Europe’s largest kitchen manufacturer, nobilia offers versatile furniture solutions for living rooms and dining areas through to kitchens and bathrooms. With its wide selection of facings and surfaces, the home can be decorated in a consistent style or each room can be individualized with an entirely different look – with intelligently constructed furniture in appealing designs.