GoMentum Station is proud to announce a new partnership with Sumitomo Electric, a respected tier one automotive supplier of electronics that support autonomous and connected vehicles. Sumitomo Electric is the first supplier to collaborate with GoMentum Station and its partners on advancing automated vehicle technology. Sumitomo Electric’s research and development subsidiary in Silicon Valley, Innovation Core SEI, leads the collaboration. Designated as one of ten automated vehicle proving grounds by the United States Department of Transportation, GoMentum Station features more than 20 miles of paved roadway including city-like roadway grids, twin 1400 foot tunnels, overcrossings, undercrossings, railroad tracks, a mini-city, and other urban infrastructure that provides a realistic environment for testing automated and connected technologies. Sumitomo Electric specializes in the development of materials, components, and software for critical functions including vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure, and intra-vehicle communications, sensors, and vehicle safety. With 248,000 employees worldwide, Sumitomo Electric delivers technology for most popular automotive brands. “Tier one” suppliers directly provide the majority of components used by automotive manufacturers. “Sumitomo Electric products form the ‘nervous systems’ of the latest vehicles, and our efforts with GoMentum Station complement testing at our own testbeds in Japan and elsewhere,” explains Mark Jansen, head of Autonomous and Connected Vehicles for Innovation Core SEI in Silicon Valley. “Our goal is to test future vehicle developments in realworld settings, safely and at scale. GoMentum Station offers a uniquely realistic setting close to our Silicon Valley lab, and we’re looking forward to accelerating our advanced technology testing at this world-class proving ground.” As the managing entity for GoMentum Station’s activities, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is excited about the new partnership. “Not only is Sumitomo Electric a well-regarded tier one supplier, they are also an excellent community partner”, says CCTA Executive Director Randy Iwasaki. “I have been impressed with the company’s focused efforts to support local hospitality businesses in Concord. Their partnership with GoMentum Station is not only advancing much needed autonomous vehicle technology, but is already benefitting the local economy.”
