Ford to start work on modernisation of its research and engineering hub in Dearborn

Ford Motor Co will, this month, start construction to modernise its 63-year-old research and engineering hub in Dearborn. The move will consolidate 30,000 employees, who currently work in over 70 buildings at two campus-like locations: its Research and Engineering Center Campus and its world headquarters a few miles away.

The overall plan would also address needs like energy efficiency, collaborative workspaces, upgraded technology and other improvements. The company also plans to showcase green modes of transportation, including autonomous shuttles, electric bikes at the Research and Engineering Center Campus.

"As we transition to an auto and a mobility company, we're investing in our people and the tools they use to deliver our vision," Mark Fields, Ford president and CEO, said in a news release.

"Bringing our teams together in an open, collaborative environment will make our employees' lives better, speed decision-making and deliver results for both our core and emerging businesses."

''This is more than an investment in new buildings,'' Fields said in a webcast.

According to Donna Inch, who heads Ford's real estate arm, the company hoped that the interconnected campuses and new buildings with new open work spaces would spur innovation.

 ''The whole idea is to think differently,'' Ms Inch said in an interview, adding, Ford took the view that automakers must ''keep reinventing yourself if you're going to be relevant for the next 100 years.''

Ford has not disclosed the cost of the project but, according to industry experts, it could be over $1 billion.

The company buildings in Dearborn had not received a major renovation since their construction in the 1950s.

According to Fields, the key element of its transformation plan was to consolidate its fragmented footprint and replace it with a centralised campus.

Ford's iconic headquarters building, a 1956 structure known as the `Glass House' for its boxy, glass-clad modernist design would also get updates under the plan. According to Ford, it would preserve the look of its headquarters though the interiors would be spruced up.

Work on the new engineering campus in Dearborn would complete in 2023, while work on the second campus at its world headquarters would start in 2021 and last about five years, Ford said.