General Motors Invests in New Advanced Design & Tech Campus
American automotive manufacturer - General Motors (GM) - is set to invest over US$71mn to establish a new campus in Pasadena, California. The campus will be used for the company’s advanced design centre operations, and substantially increase its capacity to create more jobs in the area.
Why is General Motors Investing in Southern California?
Relocated from its existing location in North Hollywood, the 149,00 square foot campus is moving to Southern California to make room for its expanding advanced technology teams, which work to accelerate the company’s ‘zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion’ goals.
In moving to California, the new site will be closer to GM’s technology centres on the West Coast, creating recruiting opportunities for leading universities and design schools.
This investment also highlights GM’s long-term commitment to maintain a physical presence in one of North America’s largest hubs for multidisciplinary design and cutting-edge innovation.
“Having a physical presence in Southern California’s technology epicentre is an integral part of our global design operations and this new innovation campus will not only expand our operations twofold but offers access to the rich cultural diversity and talent in the region,” said Michael Simcoe, GM vice president of Global Design.
“Our positioning will allow us to attract dynamic candidates in fields that will bolster GM’s proven design capabilities and challenge [the] conventional thinking of what our future portfolio of connected products and services can encompass.”
A Part of GM’s Global Expansion Plan
The announcement of a new technology campus in California comes as part of GM’s broader global expansion plan. The automotive manufacturer is currently constructing a new Design West facility at its Global Technical Centre in Michigan and has also announced its expansion of its Advanced Design Centre in Shanghai.
The Future of Mobility
GM’s advanced design teams at its campuses focus on developing concepts and future mobility projects outside of its existing production vehicle programs.
“Creating alternative mobility applications can reveal opportunities for transformative innovation and help influence future GM products and services while exploring new growth opportunities for the company,” stated GM.
GM’s new facility in California is expected to amplify its role in ‘the age of connected mobility’, as well as provide the latest tools, equipment, and workspaces to foster synergy and ideation.
“The collaborative nature of this facility will provide our advanced design team, cross-functional groups, prospective employees and external partners with the environment they need to continually redefine the boundaries of future mobility,” said Bryan Nesbitt, GM executive director, Global Advanced Design and Global Architecture Studios.
The current North Hollywood Design Centre will continue to be used for advanced design operations as works on the new facility is completed through the second half of 2022.
