Grammer and audio specialist HARMAN forging partnership for "best-in-class" sound headrest

- Cooperation for the development of various concepts and products for upgrading the vehicle interior

- Integrating audio systems in headrests yields innovative communication solutions for all vehicle occupants

Ursensollen, September 28th, 2020 - The Grammer Group, an international supplier of passenger car interior solutions and seating systems for the commercial vehicle, rail and bus sectors, announced today a long-term partnership with HARMAN International Industries, a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd., which designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide. Together, they will be offering integrated audio solutions for the passenger car market in the future. The preliminary designs are to be presented to the industry as early as in spring 2021.

"This strategic partnership with HARMAN marks a further step towards positioning Grammer as the preferred partner of the automotive industry for innovative interior solutions," says Thorsten Seehars, Chief Executive Officer of Grammer AG. "I am convinced that the expertise held by both companies will lead to groundbreaking solutions for our customers."

Importance of interior and seating systems growing
The transformation of the automotive sector is yielding considerable enhancements to the vehicle interior. New propulsion technologies and particularly autonomous driving will usher in a new driving experience. Growing automation will make it possible for passengers to use the time spent in the vehicle for other purposes. Looking forward, it will become increasingly important to offer individual entertainment offerings, such as talking on the phone, using the internet or listening to music. It should be possible to do this comfortably for the respective user, but at the same time without disturbing the other passengers.

"We are witnessing the beginning of a significant change in user needs in the vehicle interior. The trend is moving towards far greater individualization, especially in the multimedia sector. Sound zone technologies and noise cancellation are just a few of the technologies that can be integrated into existing interior solutions in a design-optimized way through this partnership," says Dr. Michael Borbe, Group Vice President R&D of Grammer AG.

Partnership between two market leaders
Under this partnership, two leading companies will be working together to jointly offer integrated audio solutions in the future. To this end, HARMAN is contributing its experience in automotive audio and active noise management systems as well as in the development of personalized and networked experiences in the vehicle, while Grammer holds expertise in innovative seat and interior solutions offering high comfort and ergonomics.

The aim of the partnership is to jointly develop a best-in-class audio system. Looking forward, one key element of this, namely the integration of audio components in the headrest, will enable individual audio programming for each passenger during the journey. This will improve the clear and direct communication between individual passengers, the individualized use of different audio services by each passenger and also offers the possibility to pass on specific signals of the vehicle acoustically only to the driver.

About Grammer AG
Located in Ursensollen, Germany, Grammer AG specializes in the development and production of components and systems for automotive interiors as well as suspended driver and passenger seats for onroad and offroad vehicles. In the Automotive Division, Grammer supplies headrests, armrests, center console systems, high-quality interior components, operating systems and innovative thermo-plastic solutions to premium automakers and automotive system suppliers. The Commercial Vehicles Division comprises seats for the truck and offroad seat segments (tractors, construction machinery, and forklifts) as well as train and bus seats. With over 14,500 employees, Grammer operates in 20 countries around the world. Grammer shares are listed in the Prime Standard and traded on the Frankfurt and Munich stock exchanges via the electronic trading system Xetra.

About HARMAN International
HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the Internet of Things. With leading brands including AKG(R), Harman Kardon(R), Infinity(R), JBL(R), Lexicon(R), Mark Levinson(R) and Revel(R), HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 50 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. Our software services power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In 2017, HARMAN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.