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Ford And NextEnergy Challenge Suppliers To Create New Lighting Products

By Edward Cardenas

DEARBORN (CBS Detroit) - The Ford Motor Company and NextEnergy are leading an automotive lighting challenge for industry suppliers to create advanced new automotive lighting products.

The challenge will launch Nov. 19 at the Michigan Advanced Lighting Conference in Lansing, and in late 2015, competing teams will present their ideas to a panel of Ford and NextEnergy experts with at least one prize being awarded.

"Ford is very interested in maintaining leadership with the use of innovative lighting for the benefit of our customers," said Dean Stevenson, chief engineer, Ford Global Design Engineering, in a release.

The challenge was announced Tuesday at a lighting exposition at Ford's Product Development Center where 30 suppliers, and would-be suppliers, met to discuss the field of lighting technology.

Among the challenges participants in the Ford and NextEnergy competition are asked to address include:

  • Develop lighting products that create the greatest amount of light (in lumens) with the lowest weight,
  • Conceive ways to make existing advanced lighting technology cost-effective and suitable for high-volume production,
  • Create interior ceiling LED (light-emitting diode) lights that emulate daylight
  • Structural lighting: Integrate LEDs and OLEDs (organic light-emitting diode) into interior and exterior structural components, such as seats and door panels,
  • Foster the design of recyclable lighting technology, including biodegradable lighting.

Ford and Detroit-based NextEnergy will outline a scoring matrix to determine winners of prizes which will be provided by the state of Michigan through Michigan Economic Development Corporation and NextEnergy.

This effort is of particular interest to Ford, which has LED headlights, side view mirror lights and cargo bed lights in the 2015 Ford F-150.

"NextEnergy's collaboration with Ford will encourage open innovation," said Jean Redfield, president and CEO, NextEnergy, in a release. "While this technology challenge will solicit global solutions, we expect Michigan's advanced lighting industry to be among the solution providers, driving significant economic activity in the state."

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