Friedrichshafen, Germany – In a strategic move marking a significant milestone in its business evolution, ZF Group has unveiled the new identity for its Passive Safety Systems division, now called ZF Lifetec. This rebranding heralds the division’s ongoing transformation and legal separation within the conglomerate, aiming to carve out a path of increased growth and enhanced profitability.
With a remarkable achievement of approximately €4.7 billion in sales in 2023, ZF Lifetec emerges from its precursor as a beacon in the passive safety system industry. The rebrand aligns with the division’s ambitions to harness automotive industry megatrends and adapt to the tightening mesh of global safety regulations, ensuring a trajectory of upward growth.
Dr. Holger Klein, CEO of ZF Group, emphasized the division’s successful evolution and its future prospects as an independent brand. “ZF Lifetec gains strategic scope to further accelerate sales growth and profitability,” Dr. Klein stated, underlining the positive progress of the carve-out process and the ongoing exploration of future development strategies for ZF Lifetec.
Dr. Martin Fischer and Rudolf Stark, prominent figures within the ZF Group, also voiced their support for the new branding. They highlighted the rebrand as a clear indication of the division’s autonomous positioning and ambitious goals. Stark, in particular, pointed out that ZF Lifetec symbolizes the company’s dedication to saving lives through a technology-driven approach, aiming to leverage automotive megatrends and rising safety regulations for growth.
Initiated in October 2022, the carve-out of the Passive Safety Systems division has set the stage for ZF Lifetec to navigate towards becoming a standalone entity. With a commanding presence in over 46 locations across 18 countries and holding more than 20 percent of the global sales market share in its core product categories, ZF Lifetec is poised for significant expansion.
The company’s extensive product range, which includes inflatable restraint systems, steering wheel systems, and seat belt systems, caters to a wide spectrum of vehicles from volume segment cars to luxury automobiles. ZF Lifetec’s future growth is underpinned by robust OEM relationships, a commitment to quality, and a strong global innovation platform, positioning it at the forefront of the passive safety industry’s expansion.
