Ford Motor Co. plans to open a new Research and Innovation Center in Atlanta to help with the company’s digital transformation and aid the company’s efforts to recruit Black tech talent from the region’s historically Black colleges and universities.
The Ford Atlanta Research and Innovation Center, or FARIC, will work in areas such as software-led connected vehicles, artificial intelligence, university research and more, officials said.
“Ford is transitioning from a traditional automotive company to a digital products and services company driven by software innovation,” said Jim Buczkowski, executive director for Ford Research, Advanced Engineering.
New center will recruit from Atlanta’s Black colleges and universities
“There’s a high demand for tech talent across industries, and we have an opportunity to create non-traditional career pathways to attract and develop the expertise needed to stay competitive,” he said.
With Ford in the midst of a major transformation, the company committed to developing a workforce that reflects the communities and customers that it serves, the automaker said as it unveiled its plans for Atlanta.
“Underrepresentation is a significant issue in software and engineering industries, especially when it comes to Black and Hispanic communities, which makes it particularly exciting to work with local colleges, universities and nonprofits to help bring greater diversity into the tech space,” said Doron Elliott, senior manager of Ford In-Vehicle Infotainment, who will also oversee FARIC operations.
“Building this critical talent base will enable Ford to continue to find innovative and efficient ways to develop cutting-edge products and services to meet the demands of a very diverse customer base,” he added.
Placing the center in Atlanta puts Ford in one of the most diverse talent markets in the U.S. and enables the company to develop a pipeline of software experts with a variety of backgrounds, the company said.
Atlanta tech talent center
“Atlanta continues to attract and grow tech companies and startups; and we continue to attract a desirable talent base — particularly for Black tech talent. We look forward to this partnership with the Ford Atlanta Research and Innovation Center, which has the potential to help us grow an even more robust and diverse pipeline,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.
Aside from serving as an innovation hub and delivering software solutions, the FARIC team will also focus on increasing Black, Hispanic and female representation in software engineering and high technology careers. The company plans to work with HBCUs as well as The Atlanta University Center Consortium to expand career opportunities to a diverse group of students.
FARIC joins a network of Ford research and development facilities in Tel Aviv and Palo Alto, California, which are working with automated, connected and electrified vehicles along with the company’s research centers around the company’s headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan.
The 24,000-square-foot FARIC space in northwest Atlanta is designed to surpass standard with a thoughtful, accessible layout that supports inclusion, flexibility, collaboration and innovation, officials noted.
The meeting spaces extend beyond traditional conference rooms to an open collaboration space with a learning stair for large group meetings equipped with technology to incorporate virtual participants, a garage space for hands-on problem-solving and living-room-style seating for more casual brainstorms or catch-ups.
“We have learned so much over the last few years about flexible workspace and its power to inspire employees,” said Jennifer Kolstad, Ford’s global design & brand director. “We’ve created an environment at FARIC that allows individuals and teams to choose what kind of environment is most efficient in the moment.”
