California's Uber to open tech center in Detroit

Ride-hailing service Uber may be anchored in California's Silicon Valley, but it's the latest auto-related firm to say it will make sure to have a presence in the Motor City. Uber will open a new research center in metro Detroit by the end of this year to accommodate increased work with auto suppliers and other technology companies involved in autonomous vehicle development, said Sherif Marakby, Uber vice president for global vehicle development, said Monday at a conference in Novi, Mich. Uber has a large presence in Pittsburgh where last week it began operated about 20 fully autonomous Ford Fusion hybrids on its most heavily traveled routes in that city. "We have having engineers come up to Detroit to meet with...suppliers. We've also had discussions with automakers," said Marakby, who began working for Uber in April after 25 years at Ford.