Ford Expands Research Collaboration with Michigan State University

Ford Motor Company has announced that it has renewed and expanded its research collaboration with Michigan State University. The expansion of the partnership will have both organizations cooperating on many aspects have renewed and expanded their collaborative research alliance to enable further cooperation in a number of different fields including autonomous vehicle technology, mobility, lightweight materials and sensors. The university will be able to use the collaboration to showcase its expertise while Ford will benefit from new features for Ford customers.

The two partners by reinforcing their four-year research and development partnership, intend to develop a wide range of innovations and based on the track record of the partnership which has lasted for four years, we can expect a lot of successful projects. In the past, the two organizations have teamed up successfully to work on advanced engines, composite materials and information technology.

Commenting on the extension of the partnership, Ed Krause, Ford global manager, external alliances said that no company, however large or vertically integrated it is has the internal resources to lead in all important technical areas. This is where partnering with leading research universities like Michigan State can play a key role in Ford’s strategy to access world-class external talent.

From 2014, Ford has invested funds for research on over 50 projects at Michigan State. These projects have covered areas like electrification, powertrain and materials. With access to a broader range of collaboration and research proposals, the expanded project portfolio will now cover current and new Michigan State faculty and students, as well as Ford researchers.

Charles Hasemann, Michigan State University assistant vice president for innovation and economic development, MSU Innovation Center said that the cooperation between Ford and Michigan State University serves as a leading example of collaboration between industry and academia and highlights the contribution that MSU partnerships can make to advance research and help develop innovative global solutions.

“Research collaborations like this one with Ford allow companies and MSU to share resources and expertise to solve real-world problems,” he added. “The novel outcomes from these collaborations advance knowledge and understanding, while also achieving a positive economic outcome for the company and for Michigan.”

Ford believes that its research alliance with Michigan State University can help it to further develop its technical capabilities.

“Our four-year research alliance with Michigan State has taken our relationship to the next level and has surpassed Ford’s expectations,” said Krause. “Not only have we been able to deepen relationships with longtime faculty collaborators, we have discovered and engaged new expertise and capability at Michigan State in both expected and unexpected areas.”