In Apulia in southern Italy, the NTC is a central location for vehicle testing for Porsche and many other car manufacturers worldwide. A 12.6-kilometre-long circuit, a 6.2-kilometre-long handling course and many other facilities for testing the vehicles of tomorrow extend over 700 hectares.
In 2012, Porsche acquired NTC in Apulia. Today, NTC is an important part of Porsche Engineering's integrated development and testing capabilities. Since then, the test site has been continuously modernized in order to further optimize the testing of future mobility technologies. NTC operates year-round and supports global customers in the automotive industry. Since 2023, a software unit in nearby Lecce has been expanding its technological competencies in southern Italy.
In order to expand its range of services, Porsche had recently presented a development plan for NTC. Now the company has decided not to proceed with the development plan. In March 2024, the Apulia Region decided to suspend the program agreement for the approval of the development plan, most recently until the end of March 2025.
The current decision by Porsche is the result of comprehensive reflection and intensive discussions with various stakeholders over the past months. This consideration included social, environmental, and economic perspectives. Especially the currently challenging environment and the changed circumstances for the global automotive industry played a significant role in this decision. NTC remains an important part of the integrated development and testing capabilities of Porsche as well as an important partner for the international automotive industry. Vehicle testing will continue to be conducted at the site, accelerating innovative mobility technologies.
