Ford opens research facility in Tel Aviv

Ford Motor Company has opened its Ford Research Center, Israel in the heart of Tel Aviv’s burgeoning technology community.

The new facility will serve as a research hub augmenting Ford’s global Research and Advanced Engineering team. It will also support Ford’s automotive and mobility businesses by identifying technologies and start-up companies in the fields of connectivity, sensors, automated-systems research, in-vehicle monitoring, and cyber security.

The Research Center, opened by Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company, will play a significant role as Ford pursues its vision to design 'smart vehicles for a smart world'. The center will include a vehicle lab to support proof of concept efforts and AI work conducted by the SAIPS team.

Ford has been working with local companies and partners in Israel’s tech community for many years. Through this strong presence, Ford has been able to work with the best technology talent and specialized companies helping to push its research and engineering efforts forward.

“We recognise the importance of being in one of the world’s leading innovation communities and ecosystems,” said Bill Ford.  “This new center is not only an expansion of our existing Research and Innovation centers but provides an opportunity to join a growing innovation community in Israel.”

Ford Research Center, Israel will operate closely with Ford’s subsidiary, SAIPS, led by Udy Danino, founder and CEO, who has also been appointed as Israel Technical Director for the new center. SAIPS is Israel’s leading computer vision and machine learning company, which Ford acquired over nearly three years ago.

“Expanding Ford’s presence in Israel with the new Research Center will allow us to engage with the best technology and leading companies a lot faster, and further support Ford’s goals of bringing together our vehicle and technology expertise to create new solutions to meet the mobility challenges of today and tomorrow,” said Udy Danino. 

Ford has had a presence in Israel for nearly a decade working with local tech scouts to identify innovative emerging technologies. In 2015, Ford was among the first major automakers to host a developer challenge in Israel, returning last year to Tel Aviv with its fourth annual MakeItDriveable start-up event, which originated in Israel and spread to other tech hotspots like Berlin, Dublin and Paris over recent years.

The Ford Research Center, Israel, is located in the new Adgar360 building in Tel Aviv. The center joins Ford’s global network of research centers, including Aachen, Germany,   Nanjing, China and Dearborn, USA.

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