(April 13, 2016) DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford has announced plans to transform its Dearborn facilities into a modern, green and high-tech campus to foster innovation and help drive the company’s transition to an auto and a mobility company.

The 10-year transformation of the company’s more than 60-year-old Dearborn facilities will co-locate 30,000 employees from 70 buildings today into primarily two locations — a product campus and a world headquarters campus. More than 7.5 million square feet of work space will be rebuilt and upgraded into even more technology-enabled and connected facilities.

A walkable community with paths, trails and covered walkways, the product campus will include a new design center, autonomous vehicles, on-demand shuttles, eBikes, new onsite employee services, wireless connectivity speeds up to 10 times faster than today and more green spaces.



A second campus location — around the current Ford World Headquarters building — will feature a new Ford Credit facility and provide onsite employee services, improved connectivity and enhanced accessibility to the expansive green space that surrounds the building.

“As we transition to an auto and a mobility company, we’re investing in our people and the tools they use to deliver our vision,” said Ford President and CEO Mark Fields. “Bringing our teams together in an open, collaborative environment will make our employees’ lives better, speed decision-making and deliver results for both our core and emerging businesses.”

The company’s core auto business includes continuing to invest in designing, manufacturing, marketing, financing and servicing cars, SUVs, trucks and electrified vehicles. It also is pursuing emerging opportunities through Ford Smart Mobility, the company’s plan to be a leader in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience and data and analytics.

Construction of the new product campus begins this month at the Ford Research and Engineering Center. The majority of work is expected to be complete by 2023. Major work on the second campus around Ford World Headquarters begins in 2021 and is expected to be complete in 2026.

Product Campus

The current Ford Research and Engineering Center Campus – dedicated by U.S. President Eisenhower in May 1953 – currently houses 12,000 employees. It is being transformed into a contemporary, innovative work environment to accommodate 24,000 employees in 4.5 million square feet of upgraded work space.

Key features will include:

    • New connected facilities that will feature the latest wired and wireless hardware designed to last many years;
    • Work spaces that foster collaboration and spark innovation;
    • A central green area that will link buildings with walking trails, bike paths and covered walkways;
    • Energy-saving sustainable technologies, including geothermal heating and cooling, and
    • Water-saving technologies, such as rainwater capture and automated metering.

The campus also will serve as a pilot location for Ford Smart Mobility solutions, including autonomous vehicles, on-demand shuttles and eBikes to transport employees.

The all-new, more-than-700,000-square-foot Design Center will be the focal point of the campus and include new studios and an outdoor design courtyard. The historic 14,000-square-foot Ford Design Showroom will remain and will be upgraded to be used as an event venue.

Ford World Headquarters Campus

The current Ford World Headquarters building was dedicated in 1956 and reflects thought-leading architecture of that time. When campus renovation begins in 2021, care will be taken to retain the iconic image of the building while providing both exterior and interior enhancements.

The new campus will include:

    • More than 1.3 million square feet of reworked space;
    • A new Ford Credit facility connected to World Headquarters, forming a more cohesive, employee-friendly campus;
    • Improved connectivity, walkways, covered parking decks and outdoor recreation facilities, including softball and soccer fields, and
    • Enhanced green spaces with planted areas, native species and tree canopy, including the renewal of the Arjay Miller Arboretum started in 1960.

All employees in the World Headquarters campus, including senior executives, will have better technologically connected facilities and open work spaces, creating a collaborative environment. In the near term, both Ford World Headquarters and Ford Credit facilities will receive updates to common areas, including a modern cafe at World Headquarters.