Lear Innovation Center targets more than automotive

Eager to join in the revitalisation of this city rich in automotive history, supplier Lear spends $10M (£8.14M) to turn an 1880s cigar factory downtown into a 6-story idea incubator where designers and engineers will work with college students on products of the future.

Much of the work at the Lear Innovation Center will be dedicated to automotive technologies. But a fair amount of research will focus on non-automotive products that could spring from Lear’s reach into other industries as a result of its recent acquisition of fabric producer Guilford Textiles and connectivity specialist Arada Systems.

Starting out 100 years ago in Detroit as American Metal Products, Lear supplied tubular, welded and stamped assemblies to the aircraft and automotive industries. About 20 years ago, Lear and other top interior suppliers began positioning themselves to be a one-stop source for complete interiors, from dashboard to back seat and from carpeting to headliner.

This article was originally published in WardsAuto

Mobility