Ford will open a smart mobility innovation office in London dedicated to the research and development of mobility solutions for Europe.

The new office, based at the Here East Campus on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, will give a dedicated team of Ford specialists access to digital companies, academic institutions and existing partners. The team of around 40 specialists will target the near term development of smart mobility solutions that meet the needs of Europe’s major cities.

“Basing our rapidly growing team here in the heart of mobility innovation in London is critical to accelerating our learning and development of new technologies. The location at Here East will allow us greater collaboration and the out-of-the-box thinking needed to tackle the urban transport challenges of tomorrow,” said Steven Armstrong, Ford’s group vice president of Europe, Middle East and Africa. 

“We will also be ideally placed to build on existing partner projects and have access to London’s world-class digital talent. Both will be key as we build towards our ambition of being a global leader in mobility solutions,” he added.

The campus is already home to Loughborough University, one of Ford’s longest standing and most significant UK university research partners, as well as the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), which Ford has worked with on powertrain research and this year the plug-in hybrid Transit development. Other tenants include the brand new Plexal Innovation Centre and UCL Robotics.

Gavin Pool, Here East’s chief executive, said: “Here East is unique in providing the space and infrastructure for entrepreneurs, global businesses and academics to come together and collaborate in the pursuit of innovation. Ford’s decision to join our community of innovators, start-ups and tech specialists as part of its drive to find smarter urban mobility solutions is an exciting development for the entire campus.”

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