Ford opens new research centre in Tel Aviv

US carmaker Ford Motor said on Wednesday it opened a research centre in Tel Aviv, becoming one of several global carmakers beefing up operations in Israel to take advantage of the country's vibrant technology sector.

The centre will support Ford's automotive and mobility businesses by identifying technologies and start-up companies in the fields of connectivity, sensors, automated-systems research, in-vehicle monitoring and cyber security, the company said.

Ford's announcement comes as technology and car companies seek access to Israeli expertise in automated driving, boosting investment in the country.

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US chipmaker Intel, German car supplier Continental, Samsung Electronics, Daimler, Ford Motor and General Motors are among companies that bought startups or set up their own development centers in Israel.

Ford said its new center will operate in close co-ordination with the company's machine learning unit, SAIPS, which the US carmaker acquired about three years ago.

SAIPS CEO Udy Danino has been appointed as Israel technical director for the new center.

Ford's global network of research centers include Aachen in Germany, Nanjing in China and Dearborn in the US.