Research and design the way to go for Ford
Dr Richard Cooney
by Richard Cooney
The closure of the manufacturing facilities of Ford Motor Company in Victoria from 2016 is a landmark event. The Geelong plants were amongst the first opened outside the US and commenced local production with the Model A. Ford Australia has been part of the story of the Ford Motor Company from the earliest days.
The demise of manufacturing in Australia is a not the end of this story but a reorientation on the part of the company towards high value adding activities in Australia. Research, design and development for new models will continue, guaranteeing thousands of jobs here. The expansion of this work - and the
creation of new employment at Ford – is dependent upon the success of innovation. The automotive industry is entering a period of rapid technological change with new drive train technologies, intelligent vehicle systems and intelligent road systems set to transform the experience of driving. Ford Australia can be part of these developments.
The Ford manufacturing strategy of switching its product line from Falcon to Territory has not been successful enough to sustain manufacturing and the high Australian dollar has been no friend to a company with a limited export program. These have been the uncomfortable realities of life for a manufacturer. Success in the research, design and development of new generation road vehicles, however, offers Ford Motor Company the chance to write the next chapter of the Ford story in Australia.
Dr Richard Cooney is a lecturer in the Department of Management in the Faculty of Business and Economics at Monash University.