SAE TOMORROW TODAY: Consumer connections will define the future

Ford Next is strengthening connections to consumers and defining the future of mobility. By integrating skill sets in consumer electronics, safety, regulation and public policy, it is expanding the Ford Motor Company outside of traditional automotive engineering to address the full spectrum of future mobility needs. It's Ford's equivalent of going to the moon. Brought to life in late 2021, Ford Next is focused on accelerating the development of autonomous vehicles, prioritizing mobility services, and acting as a startup incubator. With Chet Dhruna, Head of Strategy & Business Planning, and Kristin Welch, Strategy & Operations, Ford Next is wasting no time exploring, seeding and scaling new technologies. Among its many future-focused initiatives, Ford Next has entered into a new venture with ADT called Canopy to outfit vehicles with high-tech security systems to help reduce burglary and theft. The team has also invested in Cavnue, the leading developer of roadway and infrastructure technology designed to accelerate automated vehicles, including a first-of-its-kind connected corridor in Michigan. In addition, Ford's stake in autonomous vehicle startup Argo AI is part of the Ford Next ecosystem. For over 100 years, Ford Motor Company has been responsible for many firsts in technology and innovation. With the recent creation of Ford Next, Chet, Kristin and team will ensure there will be many more over the next 100 years ?and getting it right means Chet?s 81-year-old father feels comfortable in an autonomous vehicle.