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Automobile industry

Duke University and General Motors Collaborate on Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicle Development

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Duke University and the General Motors Corp. have embarked on a multi-year, interdisciplinary project aimed at developing hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles by 2010. The initiative, spearheaded by Duke's Fuqua School of Business, involves significant participation from the Pratt School of Engineering and the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy. The project focuses on understanding and managing opportunities and issues associated with revolutionary technology change, particularly in the automotive industry.

Key Takeaways:

  • Duke University's Fuqua School of Business is leading the project, with significant participation from the Pratt School of Engineering and the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy.
  • The project involves a graduate-level course, "Interdisciplinary Issues in Introducing Radical Technological Change in the Established Business," which will teach students to understand and manage opportunities and issues associated with revolutionary technology change.
  • General Motors has donated $500,000 to support the project, indicating a significant commitment to the initiative.
  • Larry Burns, vice president of research and development at General Motors, will lead the company's interaction with Duke on this project, emphasizing the importance of fuel-cell propulsion systems using hydrogen as an energy carrier.
  • The research portion of the project, "Management of Radical Technological Change," will be conducted by Fuqua professors Will Mitchell, Michael Lenox, and Wes Cohen, focusing on the technical, policy, and business aspects of strategic decisions involving disruptive technological change.
  • Pratt School of Engineering officials see this project as a model for university-industry collaboration and interdisciplinary education, highlighting the link between technology and policy in creating revolutionary change.

Statistics:

  • General Motors has given Duke an initial donation of about $500,000 for the project.
  • The company employs 340,000 people globally in its core automotive business and subsidiaries.
  • GM has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931.
  • The project aims to develop hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles by 2010.

Sources:

  • (No specific date) PRNewswire: "Duke University and General Motors Corp. Announce Agreement on Multi-Year, Interdisciplinary Teaching and Research Project"
  • (No specific date) Duke University: Media Contact - Jim Gray, jigray@mail.duke.edu
  • (No specific date) General Motors Corp.: Media Contact - Scott Fosgard, scott.fosgard@gm.com
  • http://media.gm.com/, http://www.gm.com/, and http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/

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