Dive Brief:
- Tier 1 supplier Astemo Americas, the U.S. subsidiary of Tokyo-based Astemo, is investing $95 million to build a new regional headquarters in Wixom, Michigan, according to a Sept. 3 press release.
- The company says the new campus will help it meet more complex software requirements of OEMs as a result of recent advancements in autonomous driving and vehicle electrification. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2026 and be completed in the fall of 2027.
- “Our new Wixom facilities will provide us with space needed to further develop and showcase our cutting-edge technology, attract additional engineering talent and strengthen our collaboration with customers,” Astemo Americas CEO Tim Clark said in the release.
Dive Insight:
Astemo, formally named “Hitachi Astemo,” was established in January 2021 as a new joint venture following the 2019 merger of Japan-based Hitachi Automotive Systems and three former Honda Motor Co. supplier subsidiaries — Keihin, Showa and Nissin Kogyo. The company is a key supplier of integrated vehicle controls to Honda and other automakers. Honda and Hitachi each hold a 40% stake in the venture.
As more automakers add connectivity features and autonomous driving technology to their model lineups, Astemo says its new campus northwest of Detroit will help boost its competitiveness in software-defined vehicle technologies in both the U.S. and Japan.
Astemo America's core focus is on electric powertrains, advanced chassis, autonomous driving and advanced driver assistance systems, as well as systems for motorcycles. The company’s portfolio includes AI-based multi camera systems for ADAS; suspension systems with AI-powered control logic using deep-learning algorithms; steer-by-wire technology and electro-mechanical brake-by-wire systems.
The new 26-acre campus in Wixom will create roughly 200 jobs in the Detroit area, with over 150 engineering roles focusing on the development of software-defined vehicle technology, according to the release. The site will house a testing facility, test tracks, over 185,000 square-feet of office space, lab space for engineering, software development, marketing, customer-service and administration tasks, per the release.
“Astemo will build a facility in Wixom to accommodate the physical space needed to showcase the company’s cutting-edge capabilities to attract talent, as well as to increase collaboration with business units and customers,” said Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in a statement.
Gov. Whitmer and Clark said that additional plans and details about the new headquarters complex will be announced later this month.
Astemo Americas employs over 15,000 people in the U.S. and 80,000 globally. The company’s main U.S. headquarters and technical center is in Farmington Hills, Michigan, with additional offices in California, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin and North Carolina. Its international locations include Brazil, China, Europe, Mexico, Japan and seven countries in Asia and Southeast Asia.
