- Ford Motor Company, The Boeing Company and Northwestern University to
       form a new innovation alliance to collaborate on nanotechnology
       research for future automobiles and aerospace products.

     - Ford and Boeing mark 10 years of working together on technology
       development and kick off their first joint effort with a university.

     - The new "Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center" is dedicated
       today on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston.

    EVANSTON, Ill., Oct. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ford Motor Company, The
Boeing Company and Northwestern University -- three big names in technology
development -- today announced their intent to work together to focus on
making the future very small.
    Ford, Boeing and Northwestern are in final negotiations to form a new
alliance to research commercial applications of nanotechnology -- the branch
of engineering that deals with things smaller than 100 nanometers and at the
molecular level.  The agreement, which is expected to become final later this
month, is designed to pave the way for future advancements in transportation,
including cars that could someday be powered by clean hydrogen rather than
gasoline.
    "Ford has a long history of research in the field of nanotechnology, and
this relationship will strengthen our knowledge for the future," said Dr.
Gerhard Schmidt, Ford's vice president of Research and Advanced Engineering.
"As our Chairman Bill Ford announced recently, innovation is the compass by
which we are setting our company's future direction -- stylish in design,
safer for families and first in technology that uses new fuels and offers new
services to consumers.  In line with this commitment, we are very pleased to
be working with Boeing.  They have been our long-time partner, and our joint
collaboration with Northwestern University underscores just how serious we are
about innovating for the future together."
    "We also are pleased to work with Ford and Northwestern on innovative ways
to use and develop nanotechnology," said Bob Krieger, president of Boeing
Phantom Works, Boeing's advanced research and development organization.
"Nanotechnology offers exciting new possibilities to help improve our current
products and develop better products in the future."
    "Nano" refers to the nanometer, a measurement of a millionth of a
millimeter, and nanotechnology involves the manipulation of atoms as raw
materials.  Scientists hope nanotechnology will dramatically advance medicine,
electronics and manufacturing.
    For automobiles, nanotechnology could help Ford find ways to boost power
in hybrid vehicle batteries using "nanoscale materials" that create more
energy from traditional materials today.  In the hydrogen arena,
nanotechnology could help researchers develop higher capacity hydrogen storage
tanks for cars, which would help make the fuel more practical for the future.
    While the initial focus of the research will be nanotechnology, other
potential research areas include specialty metals, thermal materials, coatings
and sensors.
    The new alliance between Ford and Boeing will be the latest development in
a 10-year relationship that has resulted in improved products for both
companies.
    Examples of past innovations between Ford and Boeing include:

     -- Human Factors Modeling:  Ford shared with Boeing its "Third Age Suit,"
        which is made of materials that add bulk, restrict movement and
        obscure vision to help give engineers and designers a feel for the
        needs of the elderly.  By using the suit, Ford and Boeing engineers
        have been able to research ways to provide more user friendly
        interiors for automobiles and aircraft.
     -- Aluminum Bonding: Boeing shared knowledge of its expertise in aluminum
        bonding from aerospace products with Ford for production of the Ford
        GT supercar.  The technology, including the use of "friction stir
        welding," was used by Ford to bond the center tunnel of the Ford GT to
        its floor pan without deformation.
     -- Rapid Prototyping: Boeing and Ford shared knowledge of rapid
        prototyping to refine and develop methods that allow part designs
        created in a computer to be "printed" in 3-D by a computer-operated
        laser that cures a photo-sensitive resin.  This "printed" model
        becomes a prototype part without the need for expensive tooling.  Ford
        now can cast parts as large as an engine block with rapid prototyping
        equipment in days instead of months or weeks.

    Ford and Boeing also have committed to a technology exchange program,
which includes providing access to each other's talented people, technology
and process know-how to benefit their products.
    For Northwestern University, the alliance is seen as an opportunity to
develop even closer working relationships that are inherent in an arrangement
such as this one.  Having embedded personnel leads to better understanding and
identification of each partner's needs and expertise, the university says,
provides opportunities for technology sharing that benefit everyone.
    Northwestern has been one of the early leaders in the field of nanoscience
and home of one of the first nanotechnology centers in the country.
    The study of nanomaterials and technology transcends many departments and
schools within the university, ranging from engineering and chemistry to
biology and medicine.  The learning experiences of students who will be
involved with faculty in the new research project are unique opportunities
that prepare them for their future roles as creators of value.
    The intent to form this new alliance is being announced on the same day
that Ford and Northwestern University dedicate a new $30 million engineering
center on the school's campus near Chicago.  Ford provided a $10 million grant
to build the new "Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center" as part of the
Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science facility.
    "We are pleased to be involved with such an innovative company as Boeing
and a university as esteemed as Northwestern," Ford's Schmidt explained.
"Although our products are different in many ways, we share a common goal of
innovating for the future together."
    "We are committed to working with the best and brightest engineers and
technologists throughout the world as part of our process to find and develop
technologies that will improve our defense, space and commercial airplane
products," added Boeing Phantom Works President Bob Krieger.   "We have
benefited from working with the engineers at Ford during the past 10 years, as
they have from us.  We look forward to working together in the future."

    About Ford Motor Company: Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry
leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in
200 markets across six continents. With 325,000 employees and 110 plants
worldwide, Ford's core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin,
Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-
related services include Ford Motor Credit Company.

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