28/10/2008
Ford Motor Company entered into a strategic alliance with Chongqing University (CQU) today to increase collaboration on research, development and utilization of automotive technologies. Chongqing University is the first university in Western China that entered into a formal long-term partnership with Ford Motor Company. Chongqing, the largest transportation hub in West China, is the city where Ford's passenger car joint venture in China, Changan Ford Mazda Automobile is located. In the past few years, Ford Motor has worked with Chongqing University on quite a few projects. The formation of the alliance will bring the relationship between the two parties to a new strategic level.
"This is an important milestone in the cooperation of the two parties. The alliance between the two parties will allow for high-level collaboration that will enhance mutual scientific and educational capacities, and leverage each other's strengths and resources in the co-development of automotive technologies." said Dr. Gerhard Schmidt, Chief Technology Officer of Ford Motor Company. Last year, Ford Motor Company formed similar partnership with two leading universities in Eastern China, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA) and Shanghai Jiaotong University (SJTU). Currently several projects are running under these partnership, with major focus on lowering material cost and improving materials and craftsmanship. The results of these projects will be applied to the production of Ford Motor Company. As part of the alliance, Ford also established a Ford Professor Chair for Materials Science at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and one for Mechanical Engineering at Shanghai Jiaotong University. This will help facilitate the research, technology development and education in materials science, engineering and manufacturing processes advancement. "Ford Motor Company has a long-term strategy for China. The alliance with China's top universities is part of our commitment to grow together with local community. "says Robert Graziano, president and CEO of Ford Motor China, "We believe such cooperation will facilitate technological innovation and local personnel training and development." Ford's cooperation with China's educational and research institutes began in early 1980's. Since the establishment of Ford China Research and Development Fund by Ford Motor Company and the National Natural Science Foundation of China in 1994， Ford Motor Company has worked on over 100 projects with educational and research institutes in over 20 cities across China. Through these projects, Ford provided training opportunities, research fund and facilities to facilitate both basic and applied research in automotive area. |
