Lear Corp., a Southfield-based global supplier of automotive seating and electrical systems, today opened its new Innovation Center in downtown Detroit’s historic Capitol Park district, set behind the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel.
The 35,000-square-foot center, located at 119 State St., will be used by the company to develop new automotive products and technologies, incubate non-automotive business opportunities, collaborate with the College for Creative Studies on the next generation of automotive seating and vehicle interiors, and work with the Wayne State University School of Engineering to develop applications for connected cars and alternative energy vehicles.
“We plan to leverage the rapidly developing infrastructure in the central business district as well as the concentration of arts, science, and technology assets in the Capitol Park area to fully participate in the transformation that is underway in the automotive business and to take our company to the next level,” says Matt Simoncini, president and CEO of Lear Corp.
The center features an open first floor gallery and showroom, modern office environments and workspaces, a rooftop garden for special events, and artwork from local graffiti artists. Almost 90 percent of the furniture in the space was designed or built in Detroit and other Michigan locations.
Lear acquired the six-story building last September. Since then, it has been restored close to its original Victorian Romanesque exterior design. The architect of record for the renovation was Hannah-Neumann/Smith in downtown Detroit.
Content by Lear Corp. can be found on more than 350 vehicle nameplates. The company’s products are designed, engineered, and manufactured by a team of approximately 140,000 employees located in 36 countries.
