Ford Motor Company and Michigan State University (MSU) recently announced the renewal and expansion of their collaborative research alliance, which will facilitate continued collaboration between the two entities in a variety of fields, including autonomous technology and mobility.

Ford and MSU say that by strengthening their research and development partnership, they will be able to develop a broad range of innovations, with a focus on the aforementioned autonomous technology and mobility, as well as sensors and lightweight materials.

Over the course of their four-year partnership thus far, Ford and MSU have worked together on several successful projects, including collaborations in advanced engines, composite materials and information technology.

According to Ford, academic and industrial research and development partnerships “have a proven internal process to evolve, refine and implement successful collaborative results.”

“No company – no matter how large or vertically integrated – has the internal resources to lead in all important technical areas,” says Ed Krause, Ford global manager, external alliances.

“Partnering with leading research universities like Michigan State is an important part of Ford’s strategy to access world-class external talent.”

Ford has invested funds for research on more than 50 projects at MSU since 2014. Research areas include powertrain, materials and electrification.

With a greater range of collaboration and research proposals on the horizon, Ford says that the expanded project portfolio will not only involve its own researchers, but existing and new Michigan State faculty and students as well.

“This is a leading example of collaboration between industry and academia that demonstrates how MSU partnerships can both advance research and help develop innovative global solutions,” says Charles Hasemann, Michigan State University assistant vice president for innovation and economic development, MSU Innovation Center.

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