Fiat Chrysler is opening a new automotive innovation hub in Detroit in partnership with start-up platform Plug and Play and the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council. The new platform will employ technology from AmplifyD, the social market lobbying platform. The new innovation hub will network technology start-ups, with a bias towards those owned by women and minorities.

Plug and Play Detroit powered by AmplifyD will secure space in downtown Detroit for the innovation hub in the first quarter of 2020 with plans to open its doors by June.

“We have been building innovation platforms focused on mobility worldwide in locations such as Silicon Valley, Stuttgart and Tokyo. As Detroit has been the origin of the automotive industry in the U.S., this is a strategic location for us to connect our corporate partners to startups and entrepreneurs and to continue to foster collaboration and innovation,” said Saeed Amidi, Founder and CEO of Plug and Play. “The automotive industry is going through an incredible transformation with electrification, connected and autonomous vehicles. This partnership with MMSDC and FCA as an early participant – globally as well as in Detroit – in the automotive industry, is a perfect example of how big corporations are taking the necessary steps to embrace the changes in the mobility sector.”

According to Michelle Sourie Robinson, President & CEO of MMSDC, “Innovation accelerator programmes play a critical role in successfully bringing new ideas to market. Through this partnership, entrepreneurs will gain access to resources, mentoring, financing, as well as physical space, to research and develop future mobility technology. Such resources, in many cases, are not readily available for entrepreneurs, particularly women and minorities. I am excited to partner with Plug and Play, FCA and various other corporations we will announce in the future, to address this need as we grow corporations and entrepreneurs in the process.”

“The automotive industry is at the crossroads of digital transformation, where automated driving, connectivity, electrification and shared mobility are reshaping the future of mobility,” Mark Stewart, Chief Operating Officer, FCA North America, said. “The participation with Plug and Play Detroit powered by AmplifyD accelerates FCA’s approach to research and development, providing immediate streamlined access to an ecosystem of hundreds of technology startups all with an emphasis on diversity, and with greater diversity, comes greater innovation.”

While FCA will become a founding partner in the innovation hub, AmplifyD expects further corporate and automotive partners soon. FCA’s support and partnership with MMSDC is consistent with the company’s longstanding, enterprise-wide commitment to diversity. Later this month, Scott Thiele, Head of Purchasing and Supply Chain Management, FCA – North America, become MMSDC Board Chairman.