|
Clemson International Center for Automotive
Research
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
A partnership between
BMW, Clemson and the state of South Carolina will lead
to the creation of an International Center for Automotive
Research (ICAR) in the Upstate. |
|
The
Fall/Winter edition of Earnest announced a partnership between
BMW, Clemson, and the state to create an International Center
for Automotive Research (ICAR). While logistical negotiations
and development continue, plans for the Graduate Research
Center, an integral part of the ICAR concept, are being formulated.
“ICAR
is about automotive engineering graduate education and research,” observed
Imtiaz Haque, who was recently named chair of the mechanical
engineering department at Clemson. “The graduate program
in automotive engineering focuses on engineering that uses
the vehicle as a platform. We see graduates of this program
being able to take the lessons learned and applying them
to any field that they choose. Synergy is created by the
ICAR concept where industries and Clemson work closely together
to provide a unique, and outstanding graduate program.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What
drives ICAR in South Carolina |
|
|
|
|
|
- There are over 200
automotive companies in the state. Some 115
first- or secondtier automotive suppliers
call SC home.
- BMW has had the largest
industrial economic impact in the state’s
history, with over $3 billion invested, creating
over 9,000 industryrelated jobs.
- Over 1,000 automotive
assemblers and suppliers are located within
500 miles of the SC Upstate – a concentration
greater than the equivalent area around Detroit,
Michigan.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
impetus for the Graduate Education Center is BMW, who is
interested in establishing a South Carolina-based engineering
program that would provide graduates to help the company
satisfy future development/ production needs. Initial funding
for the center comes from a $10 million grant from BMW, and
$25 million from the state through the SC Economic Development
Bond Act.
“It’s
quite a compliment that BMW elected to partner with Clemson," states
Haque. “They could have taken the concept and their
dollars anywhere, but they chose us for a reason. BMW is
strongly committed to the citizens and the educational institutions
of South Carolina.”
Clemson’s
mechanical engineering department has a strong record of
industrial support, government-sponsored fundamental research,
and international partnerships. The high caliber faculty
enjoys a strong national reputation. Preliminary planning
for the ICAR curriculum calls for M.S. and Ph.D. tracks with
emphasis in product realization and system integration.
“BMW
is a major contributor to the graduate program’s design,” states
Haque. “But we are also meeting with other companies
to make sure we build a curriculum with a global focus.”
|
