Ford to transform former product development center into World Headquarters South

Dearborn, MI – Ford Motor Co. is converting part of its historic Dearborn campus into a new facility called World Headquarters South, advancing a broader effort to modernize its workplaces and bring teams closer together. When complete, the 3.3-million-square-foot World Headquarters complex will accommodate approximately 10,000 to 11,000 employees in total. Approximately 16,000 employees will be within a 15-minute walk of one another, providing easier collaboration across the campus.

The project transforms the former Product Development Center, long a hub for engineering and design, into a more flexible and collaborative space. The updated facility is designed to better connect employees with the company’s main headquarters and support faster decision-making and product development.

World Headquarters South is part of Ford’s larger redevelopment of the Henry Ford II World Center campus, which aims to create a more integrated environment for thousands of employees. The redesign emphasizes open work areas, shared spaces and updated technology intended to reflect how work has evolved.

Ford said the effort balances modernization with preservation, maintaining ties to the site’s legacy while preparing it for future needs. The company views the project as a key step in reshaping its campus to support innovation and remain competitive in a rapidly changing auto industry.