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NEWS
R&D to continue: Ford boss
Ford Australia will continue to operate its R&D ‘centre of excellence'Ford Australia’s research and development assets, including a state of the art testing facility near Lara, south west of Melbourne (Vic), will survive today’s announcement that the company will cease local manufacturing.
Ford Australia’s R&D department employs around 1000 engineers and support staff co-located at Lara, Geelong and Campbellfield. In addition to projects for Ford’s local arm, it is heavily involved in development of vehicles for markets like India and China.
Ford Australia boss, Bob Graziano, confirmed today that the company’s Australia engineering assets would continue to operate for the foreseeable future. He stated it would continue to provide services for Ford’s global business as the key R&D asset in the Asia Pacific region.
To date Ford’s local R&D staff have worked on a mix of local and overseas market projects. Among the key overseas projects are the Indian-market Figo hatch and the lead engineering role in the global Ranger LCV vehicle line.
“The intent is that it will be what we call a Centre of Excellence for the Ford Motor Company within the [global] product development organisation,” Graziano explained.
The Ford Australia boss stated the operation was one of the few ‘full-service’ R&D centres in the Blue Oval’s world.
“We’ll work on how best to locate them, but that is the plan. They work not only on local product... but they also work on other global programs," he explained.
The Ford boss reiterated the Australia R&D operation was heavily involved not only in Australian localisation programs but localisation testing and development for the whole Asia Pacific region. As an example Ford’s Australian R&D facility could potentially play a role in optimising a global vehicle for a market such as China.
Picture shows Ian Macfarlane, Howard government minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources (left) and former Ford Australia president, the late Geoff Polites with a pre-production Territory in 2003.
Follow other Ford news on www.motoring.com.au:
Ford Australia to cease local production
Falcon nameplate dead, Territory undecided
Holden issues official statement
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Written byMike Sinclair
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