DaimlerChrysler to inject $500 million into automotive R&D facilities at Univ of Windsor

The Univ of Windsor is boosting its key program in automotive research through an agreement with DaimlerChrysler Canada that will see the car maker pour $500 million over five years into expanded and new R&D facilities. The expansion builds upon a milestone 1994 pact with Chrysler which vaulted the university into the front ranks of Canadian institutions offering automotive engineering programs.

The agreement calls for the creation of a new R&D facility adjacent to the Automotive Research and Development Centre (ARDC) (R$, October 26/94), which was created under the original deal. The 132-acre parcel of land was donated by the City of Windsor, allowing for a doubling in the number of DaimlerChrysler R&D personnel from 200 to 400.

The auto maker's existing road simulation laboratory is being significantly expanded with the addition of three full-scale simulators, and new research facilities for automotive coatings and lighting are being introduced for the first time. Other new R&D programs include automotive life cycle and automotive safety, while work on alternative fuels will continue.

The indoor light testing facility is already constructed and awaiting the installation of specialized software. For its part, the Univ of Windsor will establish a Centre for Automotive Research and Education (CARE) on the main campus to fully leverage benefits flowing from DaimlerChrysler's new R&D initiatives.

Three years after the original agreement was implemented, the Univ of Windsor made automotive engineering a major tenant of its research thrust. It launched Canada's first university-level education program focusing on this highly specialized industrial sector, attracting international recognition and producing graduates ideally tailored for the sector.

The 1,000-sq-m CARE facility includes a vehicle project room which allows students to combine theory with practical experience, and a design studio similar to an engineering office. The facility also includes a mechanical dissection laboratory, an engine combustion laboratory and a biodiesel laboratory focusing on clean fuels in diesel engines.

"Our students are fortunate to have a partner like this who is committed to education. They are putting all the money in and the students derive great benefit, says U of W spokesperson John Carrington. "Most of the engineering projects will involve projects that students worked on as undergraduates."

It's hoped that the size of the investment could spur other auto makers to follow suit and consider Canada as a preferred locale for R&D. Canadian governments have long lamented the paucity of automotive R&D in Canada, in spite of a generous tax credit regime and salary levels significantly below those in the US.

"University professors, and students have an opportunity to become involved in very relevant research," says Daimler Chrysler spokesperson Bob Renaud. "The new facility will also help address the shortage of skilled personnel."

Unlike the 1994 deal, the new agreement is funded exclusively by the auto maker, with the bulk of spending front-end loaded to build and equip the new facilities. Renaud says no government programs or incentives were used for the new agreement with the university, although he won't rule out applying for joint funding under a program like the Ontario R&D Challenge Fund.

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