Kuka Systems opens U.S. research center in Sterling Heights

KUKA Systems is expanding its North American presence in Metro Detroit by creating a research center next to its Sterling Heights headquarters.The 65,000-square-foot facility houses between 4-14 people, depending on the project. The headquarters next door houses another 350. The new research center will be devoted to both automotive and alternative energy industry projects.”It’s primarily for laser development (in those sectors) but we have other projects,” says Mike LaRose, vice president and general manager of KUKA Systems North America.The research center has four projects going right now, including some solar- and wind-generating technologies. Much of that work used to be done in Germany, but executives decided it was best to house that expertise in North America, closer to its emerging markets.”We’ve seen quite a bit of interest in solar,” LaRose says.Source: Mike LaRose, vice president and general manager of KUKA Systems North AmericaWriter: Jon Zemke