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Ford to Upgrade German Design Center

Relying on its European operations in a much greater degree than its American competitors, Ford is getting ready to pay more and more attention to the operations it conducts on the Old Continent.

Ford announced today that the Design Centre in Cologne-Merkenich, Germany, will enter a major makeover starting Tuesday, with a total of EUR11.6 million to be spent on the expansion of the facility.

The upgraded Cologne center, when it is finished, will feature an extra 3,000-square-meters of space (the current facility occupies 13,000 square meters, and includes an aerodynamic wind tunnel built in 1984, divided into two floors with room for 100 new work stations. At the core of the new building will lie something Ford calls a powerwall: a tool that would allow the designers and engineers working there to project vehicles concepts in a three-dimensional, virtual environment.

In addition to the money which will be spent on erecting the expansion, Ford will also upgrade the existing studios and will install milling machines that use computer-aided design to create precise clay models of new vehicle designs.

Ford's plan for the Cologne center is the biggest investment made in the facility since its opening in 1968.

“This is an important expansion of the Ford Design Centre as Cologne-Merkenich has the global lead on the design and development of Ford’s small and compact vehicles,” said Bernhard Mattes, Ford of Germany chairman.

“We are delighted that the Cologne Design and Engineering Centre is playing such an important part in Ford's future and is an integral part of our global One Ford strategy.” 
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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