According to press reports, Volkswagen Group and Stanford University plan to inaugurate the new Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Lab (VAIL) on the Stanford University campus at a dedication ceremony on October 31.
VW and Stanford are not by any means strangers. The two organizations have collaborated on several projects that have resulted in autonomous vehicles that have won the coveted DARPA Grand Challenge and Urban Challenge race series.
The expanded cooperation will see the two groups focus on innovative technologies in a bid to improve mobility, vehicle safety and environmental protection.
Said Volkswagen's Head of Group Research, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Leohold, "Stanford University and Volkswagen are ideal partners. VAIL is an important step in further developing this international collaboration. Both Science and industry should benefit equally from the new VAIL lab in paving the way toward new technologies."
The center, which is still under construction, will provide about 750 square meters of space for research teams from the fields of mechanical engineering, electronics and information technology, as well as a fully equipped workshop area. VAIL will also include a vehicle proving ground.
Volkswagen has contributed two million dollars towards the construction project, and the German automaker will also provide ongoing funding of Stanford's CarLab to the tune of $750,000 per year over the next five years.
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