General Motors will build a new Advanced Design And Technology Campus in Pasadena, California, which will expand its aerospace engineering, defense, automotive design and software development efforts.
Details on the new 149,000 square-foot facility were released by GM on Tuesday. The site, which represents a $71 million investment, is closer to technology centers on the West Coast like Silicon Valley and creates recruiting opportunities for GM thanks to its proximity to leading tech universities and design schools.
Employees at the Advanced Design And Technology Campus will focus on innovative new technologies and will also explore new transportation solutions to help create further growth opportunities for GM. The automaker says endeavours like its BrightDrop logistics sub-brand and the Cadillac vertical take-off and landing vehicle (VTOL) are representative of the ways it’s hoping to expand its business beyond traditional automobiles in the coming years.
“Having a physical presence in Southern California’s technology epicenter is an integral part of our global design operations and this new innovation campus will not only expand our operations twofold, but offers access to the rich cultural diversity and talent in the region,” said GM vice president of global design, Michael Simcoe. “Our positioning will allow us to attract dynamic candidates in fields that will bolster GM’s proven design capabilities and challenge conventional thinking of what our future portfolio of connected products and services can encompass.”
The GM Advanced Design And Technology Campus will include an innovation lab for designing, implementing and validating new design tools, along with a dedicated collaboration, research and development space. The new facility will also give GM the ability to “rapidly pilot visualization and immersive technology, including augmented and virtual reality,” the automaker says, and give it an “increased footprint allowing for improved output of physical and virtual proof of concepts and show cars.” In short, the studio will allow GM to create more advanced design projects in a shorter amount of time.
“The collaborative nature of this facility will provide our advanced design team, cross-functional groups, prospective employees and external partners with the environment they need to continually redefine the boundaries of future mobility,” added GM executive director of advanced design, Bryan Nesbitt.
GM says this new Pasadena-based facility will be completed in the second half of 2022.
Subscribe to GM Authority for more General Motors investment news and a constant flow of General Motors news coverage.
Comments
They should reserve these funds for buying back existing Bolts because there’s a lawsuit coming.
They should have probably built this in Texas as that is where all the business are moving. What does Silicon Valley know about autos? Didn’t there exist something called the google car???? Seams like pandering and more corporatism to me. Course I’ve always thought that design should be spread around the country in smaller units to take advantage of inspiration from all walks of life, urbanites, suburbanite, rural customers, mountains, desert, oceans. Nothing speaks to designing for the customer than actually living among the customers.
Pasadena isnt in silicon valley
Maybe you should venture out a bit more. Those walks of life are all within a couple hours of Pasadena plus a huge diversity of people with endless ideas.
Plus gm will be right in the middle of their customer base. Oops! Sorry, I thought it was 1970. If it wasn’t for the San Joaquin valley you might not see a gm vehicle in the entire state.
texas offers guns, football and churches. not exactly fertile ground for inspiration if you are a designer.
Don’t forget beer and bad education….. heeeee hawww
>texas offers guns, football and churches.
Somebody obviously has never been to Detroit.
i’ve spent a lot of time in both detroit and the dallas/ft. worth area. i’d take detroit anyday over dallas. culturally, it is a lot more vibrant.
Good Move, easier to hire designers and scientists in CA, gm already has advanced labs in CA, they know that workforce.
Good to have GM presence in CA.
GM has had design studios and labs in CA for decades. They are just expanding on that presence.
Socal and LA is the hot spot for motor vehicle design. Just look at the design shops along Interstate 5 in Irvine.
Little ol lady from Pasadena with a 409. Go granny go.
Great choice on location. Nice facility design from renderings. Go gm!
Actually, Granny drove a Super Stock Dodge. Probably A 413 Wedge or a 426 Hemi.
Just sayin’
Ahh….Vintage Chrysler. Back in the day when they were king of the hill in high performance gasoline engine design. Lynn Townsend RIP.
Where have all the king pin car guys gone to?
See you at this year’s SEMA Show in Sin City.
Lol at that feminine font in the rendering! Such a soft company now! The new logo compared to the previous one showcases everything wrong with the nation. Guess I should be grateful that this new center is in the states and not in China as well.
Independent corporation adopting a new font = core of national disparity…? I can’t believe I never made this connection before myself. How insightful, dblezy!
@dblezy
Pinecone.
Interesting move not taking it to Austin Texas. Texas provides all instances of diverse climates which would give testers ample area to gain inspiration and test their vehicles. Central to the USA, it logistically makes sense. Cost of living significantly lower, less dense, easier quality of life. And the shocker: politically equal now unlike the echo chamber the pacific states have been
It’s also closest to Asia, since the Port of LA is where all of your imported stuff comes in by boat, and it used to be where you could get non-stop flights. This is why Honda, Mazda, Kia, Hyundai, Mitsubishi (before the Nissan takeover) and Toyota’s (before the Texas move) US headquarters are in Southern California. Conversely, VW, Mercedes, and BMW US headquarters are all on the East Coast.
The proximity to where the China and Korea-made cars and parts are coming is undoubtedly a factor over the San Francisco Bay Area.
Its a low cost move. You know ’cause of the big one.
Question , what ever happened to teh GM design studio in Germany, was that part of the PSA sale?