Uber to Locate Michigan Tech Center in Wixom

Uber Technologies Inc. says its previously announced Michigan tech center will be in Wixom.

The facility will be opened later this quarter with a small staff and is expected to eventually employ as many as 100 people, Sherif Marakby, who heads Uber’s global vehicle programs, told attendees at this week’s Automotive News World Congress in Detroit.

Engineers and program managers at the Michigan center will work with traditional suppliers and carmakers to integrate Uber’s software into next-generation self-driving vehicles.

The ride-hailing company previously opened a research facility in Pittsburgh, where it began testing a fleet of 20 self-driving Ford Fusions last September. The company also is working with Volvo Cars to develop a platform for self-driving vehicles.

Marakby, a former Ford Motor Co. executive who joined Uber in 2015, believes automated taxis will supplement rather than replace the company’s current driver-based service to accommodate ride demand during peak operating hours.