Synergy of purchasing, research and development activities gives megasuppliers a huge advantage

The last couple of years has seen the trend of tier-one suppliers making large-scale acquisitions of fellow tier-one suppliers in the automotive industry.

After a relatively quiet period, these so-called ‘megasuppliers’ are now about to start taking advantage of the synergies these mergers have created. ZF TRW developed a new airbag that can help automakers improve side impact protection in vehicles. The new airbag, called centre airbag, is integrated into the inner side of the seatback and deploys to protect the head, shoulder and torso areas of the occupants in the front seat.