Ford on Thursday inaugurated its technology and innovation centre here. The 15,000 sq.ft centre, located at Ford’s Global Technology and Business Centre (GTBC) campus in SIPCOT SEZ, was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami in the presence of Michael Brielmaier, President and MD, Ford India.
The centre can house around 10,000 employees. The setting up of the centre highlights the importance of Tamil Nadu to Ford and reaffirms the company's commitment to India by providing job opportunities, says a company press release.
The centre has multiple facilities for the automotive sector such as simulation labs for virtual models and testing; extended/virtual reality labs to help advanced manufacturing simulations; artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities; and a component and vehicle lab for design, development and testing, says the press release.
One of the features of the innovation facility is the Mobility Experience Lab. The lab includes simulations for Ford's Office Ride, an app-based shared mobility solution for corporate employees, which has achieved over five million rides since its launch in mid-2018.
Ford's mobility team, which leads the company’s work in connectivity, mobility and autonomous vehicles, also has a presence at Chennai’s GTBC.